Anti-Depressants: The Secret to Preventing Alzheimer's?

The Science Translational Medicine journal recently published research about the generic antidepressant citalopram, which was developed by Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX  )  under the brand name Celexa, as a potential way to help slow down the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Now this study was small and further research needs to be done, but it shows that anti-depressent use may reduce the production of beta-amyloid plaques, seen as a contributing factor for the development of Alzheimer's. However, there is a long way to go and a lot of science to discover before these common drugs are seen as a preventative tool for those at risk.

In this episode of The Motley Fool's health-care show Market Checkup, analysts David Williamson and Michael Douglass discuss this trial, how our knowledge of the disease is evolving and the many other new Alzheimer's treatments being developed right now.

Are you ready for this $14.4 trillion revolution?
Have you ever dreamed of traveling back in time and telling your younger self to invest in Apple? Or to load up on Amazon.com at its IPO, and then just keep holding? We haven't mastered time travel, but there is a way to get out ahead of the next big thing. The secret is to find a small-cap "pure-play" and then watch as the industry -- and your company -- enjoy those same explosive returns. Our team of equity analysts has identified one stock that's ready for stunning profits with the growth of a $14.4 TRILLION industry. You can't travel back in time, but you can set up your future. Click here for the whole story in our eye-opening report.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now

Make This Oil Move Immediately

From the Editor: In yesterday's members-only message, you got a rare look at Kent's track record and why he averages 55% on every recommendation. Today, Kent recommends a short-term move, based on the latest developments in Syria...

Damascus may have dodged a bullet (or a cruise missile), but nothing else has changed very much. Not in terms of risk.

That explains why the "Syrian Premium" remains. It may be slightly reduced, as you'll see. But it is likely to stay with us even after the threat of a military solution has been averted.

At least for now...

But in addition to the ongoing uncertainty, there are other aspects of market pricing that are coming into focus. These pressures were building even before the latest round of Syrian intrigue.

They involve the traditional factors of supply and demand, with some regional wrinkles thrown in for good measure.

I will have more to say shortly about the best way you can profit from these opportunities. But for the moment, there's one move to make in the immediate aftermath of the latest Syrian developments.

Here's my full briefing...

The U.N. Chemical Weapons Report Emerges

The U.N. report on chemical weapons usage in Syria, released Monday, may not hold the Assad regime responsible for their usage directly. But the conclusions certainly supported the version put forward by Washington, Paris, and Riyadh.

The August attack on suburban Damascus employed massive amounts of sarin gas in a coordinated effort, one labeled a war crime in the report and the worst witnessed worldwide in 25 years. It required missile delivery systems, while the trajectories indicated launches from territory controlled by government forces. That combined with earlier intelligence discounting that the opposition had access to such nerve gas leaves little doubt.

Whether authorized by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or some underling, this was a coordinated attack on civilians using a substance held in distain by the global community. Russia is continuing to question which side in the festering Syrian civil war bears responsibility.

On the other hand, Cyrillic lettering on casings points toward Moscow's hand in providing Assad with the weapons. They were also more potent than initially thought. The U.N. report concludes the gas was of higher quality than sarin found in Saddam Hussein's arsenal in Iraq.

A few weeks ago, all of this would have been enough for the U.S. to initiate a missile attack of its own on military installations inside Syria. The report may have been enough for the U.K. to come on board (the Parliament in London had refused to support a military move pending the report) and may have even attracted additional European support.

But the situation changed dramatically late last week...

A Deal for International Control

The Russian-brokered deal places Assad's chemical weapons under international control, with destruction of them set for the first half of 2014.

Now, those experienced in such matters flatly declare the time scale is unrealistic; accounting for 100% of the weapons is also not possible.

But the threat level is reduced. A powder keg situation had turned from a threatened military reprisal to a diplomatic initiative - one now likely to have a U.N. Security Council resolution to back it up.

Much is unresolved in this approach. But it does mean, at least for now, Washington has pulled back from an attack while Moscow has bought some time for its erstwhile ally.

Hot Cheapest Companies To Watch For 2015

Nonetheless, the reduction in tension, even if it turns out to be short-lived, will have an impact on oil prices.

How to Play the Next Big Oil Move

As the crisis escalated, what I have called a "Syrian Premium" (about $4 per barrel in New York and London) had been introduced into the pricing for crude. That premium had increased as the rhetoric on war increased.

As trade opened Tuesday morning, West Texas Intermediate (WTI, the benchmark crude traded on NYMEX) stood at a bit above $106 and Brent in London at more than $109. These levels were down 2.7% and 3.2% for the week, respectively.

Yet each still remained more than $3 a barrel above the anticipated pricing levels in the absence of a Syrian crisis.

In short, the prices have eased, but a premium remains.

That's because much uncertainty remains, as well.

Will the diplomatic approach succeed? Will the weapons be catalogued and destroyed? Will the Security Council step up and put some serious sanctions on Damascus? Will the new U.S.-Russian joint approach hold?

You can see why oil's volatility will continue even with chemical weapons use off the table. The Syrian mess remains even without the impending U.S. attack. The stability of the entire region is at issue, the conflict deepens, the Saudi-Iranian disagreement over surrogate plays in the Persian Gulf region is becoming worse, and the pressures on the global crude oil outlook remains pressured as a consequence.

So here's what to do...

1. Take a profit.

It's time to pull back a bit on exchange-traded fund (ETF) holdings allowing moves playing the WTI-Brent crude pricing spread. I have suggested previously the two primary plays here are PowerShares DB Energy (NYSE Arca: DBE) and United States Brent Oil Fund (NYSE Arca: BNO).

DBE provides a play on both the WTI-Brent spread as well as crack spreads (the difference between the crude oil prices and those for selected oil products). BNO is a straight entry into dollar-denominated Brent pricing in London.

Both have made gains during the Syrian run up, and some of that profit needs now to be creamed.

2. Redeploy the proceeds.

It's time to position yourself for regional variations in price. They're approaching. Fast. Here, the strategy will offset companies controlling large amounts of oil availability in certain global areas with the pricing variations emerging.

Simply put, this approach will be locating where the difference is pronounced enough to generate an added premium.

Much more on this as we move forward...

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Buy Right Now

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Buy Right Now: Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc (ARCO)

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc., incorporated on December 9, 2010, is a McDonalds franchisee. As of December 31, 2010, the Company operated or franchised 1,755 McDonalds-branded restaurants, which represented 6.7% of McDonalds total franchised restaurants globally. It operates McDonalds-branded restaurants under two different operating formats, Company-operated restaurants and franchised restaurants. As of December 31, 2010, of its 1,755 McDonalds-branded restaurants in the territories, 1,292 (or 74%) were Company-operated restaurants and 463 (or 26%) were franchised restaurants. It generates revenues from two sources: sales by Company-operated restaurants and revenues from franchised restaurants, which consist of rental income, which is based on the greater of a flat fee or a percentage of sales reported by franchised restaurants. As of December 31, 2010, it owned the land for 510 of its restaurants (totaling approximately 1.2 million square meters) and the bui ldings for all but 12 of its restaurants. It divides its operations into four geographical divisions: Brazil; the Caribbean division, consisting of Aruba, Curacao, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas; North Latin America division (NOLAD), consisting of Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama, and South Latin America division (SLAD), consisting of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. As of December 31, 2010, 35.1% of its restaurants were located in Brazil, 29.7% in SLAD, 27.1% in NOLAD and 8.1% in the Caribbean division. The Company conducts its business through its indirect, wholly owned subsidiary Arcos Dorados B.V.

Company-Operated and Franchised Restaurants

The Company operates its McDonalds-branded restaurants under two basic structures: Company-operated restaurants operated by the Company and franchised restaurants operated by franchis! ees. Und er both operating alternatives the real estate location may ! either be owned or leased by the Company. It owns, fully manages and operates the Company-operated restaurants and retains any operating profits generated by such restaurants, after paying operating expenses and the franchise and other fees owed to McDonalds under the Master Franchise Agreements (MFAs). In Company-operated restaurants, it assumes the capital expenditures for the building and equipment of the restaurant and, if it owns the real estate location, for the land as well. Under its franchise arrangements, franchisees provide a portion of the capital required by initially investing in the equipment, signs, seating and decor of their restaurants, and by reinvesting in the business over time. It is required by the MFAs to own the real estate or to secure long-term leases for franchised restaurant sites. It subsequently leases or subleases the property to franchisees.

In exchange for the lease and services, franchisees pay a monthly rent to the Company , based on the greater of a fixed rent or a certain percentage of gross sales. In addition to this monthly rent, it collects the monthly continuing franchise fee, which generally is 5% of the United States dollar equivalent of the restaurants gross sales, and pays these fees to McDonalds pursuant to the MFAs. However, if a franchisee fails to pay its monthly continuing franchise fee, it remains liable for payment in full of these fees to McDonalds. As of December 31, 2010, it was engaged in several joint ventures, which collectively owned 24 restaurants, in Argentina, Chile and Colombia.

Restaurant Categories

The Company classifies its restaurants into one of four categories: freestanding, food court, in-store and mall stores. Freestanding restaurants are the type of restaurant, which have ample indoor seating and include a drive-through area. Food court restaurants are located in malls and consist of a front counter and kitchen and do ! not hav! e their own seating area. In-store restaurants are part ! of a larg! er building and resemble freestanding restaurants, except for the lack of a drive-through area. Mall stores are located in malls like food court restaurants, but have their own seating areas. As of December 31, 2010, 808 (or 46.2%) of its restaurants were freestanding, 359 (or 20.5%) were food court, 265 (or 15.1%) were in-stores and 319 (or 18.2%) were mall stores. In addition, it has four non-traditional stores, such as food carts.

Reimaging

As of December 31, 2010, the Company had completed the reimaging of 308 of 1,569 restaurants. Many of the reimaging projects include the addition of McCafe locations to the restaurant. It has developed system-wide guidelines for the interior and exterior design of reimaged restaurants.

McCafe Locations and Dessert Centers

McCafe locations are stylish, separate areas within restaurants where customers can purchase a range of customizable beverages, including lattes, cappuccinos, moc has, hot and iced premium coffees and hot chocolate. As of December 31, 2010, there were 267 McCafe locations in the Territories, of which 12% were operated by franchisees. Argentina, with 71 locations, has McCafe locations, followed by Brazil, with 67 locations. In addition to McCafe locations, it has Dessert Centers. Dessert Centers operate from existing restaurants, but depend on them for supplies and operational support. As of December 31, 2010, there were 1,306 Dessert Centers in the Territories.

Product Offerings

The Companys menus feature three tiers of products: affordable entry-level options, such as its Big Pleasures, Small Prices or Combo del Dia (Daily Extra Value Meal) offerings, core menu options, such as the Big Mac, Happy Meal and Quarter Pounder, and premium options, such as Big Tasty or Angus premium hamburgers and chicken sandwiches and low-calorie or low-sodium products, which are marketed through common platforms r! ather tha! n as individual items. These platforms can be based on the ty! pe of pro! ducts, such as beef, chicken, salads or desserts, or on the type of customer targeted, such as the childrens menu.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoffrey Seiler]

  Analyst John Ivankoe took Arcos Dorados (ARCO) from neutral to overweight and increased his target from $13 to $14. It is the first time the analyst has had a positive view on the stock since it IPO'd.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Next Tuesday, Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-restaurant-stocks-to-buy-right-now.html

5 Best Paper Stocks To Own Right Now

5 Best Paper Stocks To Own Right Now: Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund(CFP)

Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund is a closed-ended equity fund of fund launched and managed by Cornerstone Advisors, Inc. The fund invests funds investing in the public equity markets of the United States. It invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund was formed on April 26, 2007 and is domiciled in the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But you can see in several places the consequences of the stampede toward high yield. Here are just a few:

  Closed-end funds Cornerstone Progressive (NYSEMKT: CFP  ) and Pimco High Income (NYSE: PHK  ) both make fixed payments back to fund shareholders on a monthly basis, and their distribution yields are truly extraordinary, at about 17% and 12%, respectively. Those dividends have enticed shareholders to pay $1.30 to $1.40 or more for each $1 of assets in the funds. Yet during most months, a substantial portion of those distribution payments has simply been a return of investor capital rather than true income from the funds' investments. A recent study discussed in The Wall Street Journal found that returns on a portfolio with a combined value and dividend-income strategy outperformed a strategy focused more exclusively on maximizing dividends by an average of 1.7 percentage points per year, a huge edge in long-run returns. In the dividend ETF arena, most funds tend to focus on maximizing yield. Although the popular Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (NYSEMKT: VIG  ) ETF bucks the trend by screening first for consistent dividend growth and only then looking at yield as a factor, many rival ETFs start with high-yielding stocks as their baseline and only then consider other desirable traits. Others focus solely on high-dividend niches of the marke! t, such as iShares FTSE NAREIT Mortgage-Plus (NYSEMKT: REM  ) and its concentration on high-yield mortgage REITs.

  When dividend stocks get too popular, their prices get out of line with both their dividend income and the fundamentals of the businesses that underlie those stocks. In simpler terms, when dividend stocks become bad values, it's time to consider looking elsewhere for a margin of safety.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-paper-stocks-to-own-right-now.html

Druckenmiller to BTV: Gov't must address entitlement

Hedge fund icon and former Chairman, President and CIO of Duquesne Capital, Stan Druckenmiller joined Bloomberg Television's Stephanie Ruhle and Erik Schatzker on "Market Makers" for a full hour and said, the government must address entitlement spending "This is the first generation where a 30-year-old's net worth is less than his parents…If you look at the older people, there net worth has doubled." Druckenmiller also said it would be a big deal for financial markets if the Federal Reserve were to completely end its asset purchases over the next 12-months.

Druckenmiller said he sees no bear market as long as fed prints money, prices will respond to actual QE exit, he doesn't see many investing opportunities, he is very focused on who the next Fed Chairman is, and thinks there are too many hedge fund managers.

On Next Fed Chair: "I am a little concerned that the Fed chairmanship could be hung up. It has become a complete circus. You have economists and politicians and newspaper people pining on it. My God, Obama should just go in the rose garden and appoint whoever he wants to appoint. That is his privilege and his job."

Seniors Are stealing form our Young

A Looming Catastrophe in Entitlement Spending

Fed Choice Totally matters to Market

I've Been Really Wrong on Bonds

Is Monetary Policy too loose?

Druckenmiller on why his college tour is so important:

"It really solidified to me during the sequester period when the whole debate was going on about cutting government spending in our fiscal issues, and that is when I first came to understand the lack of knowledge on this topic, not just from seniors, but future seniors. If you listen to the sequester debate in spending and where the debt is, I find it inconceivable they didn't know the facts, including I would be surprised if the President knew the facts given the statements he was making. During the sequester, you may remember he said, we are! not going to balance the budget on the backs of our seniors. If you look at the situation where we are today, seniors are doing very, very well in the last 30 years. It has been a remarkable accomplishment. And because the mandate went well, the poverty rate is down from 35-percent to 9-percent for seniors. But their wealth is also increasing dramatically. Looking forward, we have a very though picture because of the demographic situation, seniors about to explode as a portion of the population and the benefits we promised them, there is no way to cover them given the current situation we have."

On whether he blames the voters or politicians for being ignorant and uninformed:

"I would say both. This is a country of special interests, as we all know. As we all know, old people vote or seniors vote. They vote consistently and young people don't. Young people have other interests than say the future economic situation at the age of 20. I sure did. They're not necessarily focusing on the stuff."

On whether his goal is to get young people out to vote, to vote with their consciences:

"It won't be their conscience. They should be mad as hell. Part of what I'm doing is to inform seniors of the situation… I'm sure they care. Maybe some don't. But I would bet a lot of money that 85-percent of seniors today, if they knew the numbers were going to go over, they wouldn't be comfortable with this this what they were leaving to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

On what he is most uncomfortable about: *chart discussed is at the 4 minute mark of video "seniors are stealing from our young"

"Let's first set the table and looking at what is going on in the last 35-years. Then I want to get into the demographic problem and why it is so scary from here and why I don't understand the current dialogue that is taking place over the situation. It is completely uninformed. This chart on the screen is federal government entitlement transfers an! d percent! of government budget outlays. If you go back to 1960 when I was sever years old, about 20-percent of the federal budget government outlays were transfer payments or what we call entitlement. That number has gone up to 72-percent over this 35 year period. The problem with that, first of all, the good news on that, as I said, seniors are much better off, it's been a tremendous accomplishment, poverty rate is way down for seniors, but these are transfer payments and there is no productive investment or no looking to future coming out of this. If you look at how we get form 20-percent to 70-percent, almost all of that money went to the elderly. If you took an elderly person back in 1960, 40-percent of government outlays per capita went to them. That number is 71-percent all stop where did that come out of? It came out of children, came out of investments and things like education, infrastructure, thing like that. And that crowding out effect creates a problem going forward because these are not productive investments."

On response he is getting from influential youths:

"The answer is, I don't know. Jeff Canada and I, my partner, well, I am sort of the tagalong, we went up to Bowdoin College to see where this went. I had a number of people contact me after your show. I did not expect that… We went up to Bowdoin college and give a presentation just trying to outline the facts of what we're looking at the next 30 or 40 years. The response was overwhelming. So based on that, we're going to do about 10 to 12 colleges in the next two months. Mr. Zuckerberg is focused more on immigration than this stuff."

On the net worth by age group: *chart discussed is at the 7 minute mark of video "seniors are stealing from our young"

"It is important shaping the debate. We have always heard the term, 'you don't want to leave the next generation with less than the current generation.' This chart when it was first shown to me, and it is from the Federal Reserve board survey o! f consume! r finances, it is kind of shocking. Because of the previous chart I showed where these transfer payments have gone primarily to the elderly and have been substantial, look at what has happened. If you are A 29-37 year old in this country, your net worth is less than 29-37 year old in 1983. Those are staggering statistics. This is the first generation where a 30-year old is worth literally is worth less than his parents. If you look at older people, their net worth has doubled over this timeframe. Again, because this money has been transferred.

On whether he worries that people will overlook what he is saying because he is a billionaire:

"Well, modestly, the way I would answer that is the way I made my money in the industry wasn't necessarily in stock s. I made most of my money in the bond and currency markets trying to forecast future economic trends and problems that I saw happening. And one thing I'm not very proud of if oyu look at my record, the big years were in bear markets and chaos. I tend to take rate advantage of catastrophes happening in the marketplace. In other words, for whatever reason, maybe I have a dysfunctional personality; I was good at looking around corners and protecting them. And this is much longer a timeframe, but it is the easiest lay-up I have ever seen of something we have got to address and a problem we have got to deal with…My record speaks for itself on forecasting."

On what changed his opinions of President Obama since 2008:

"I was drinking the hope and change Kool-aid. I was thinking of a younger generation. I think in hindsight, looking back, he probably needed more experience for this job. I also thought he would be more Clinton-like a move to the center. Clearly, he hasn't…I am an independent and just hoping one candidate on either side in 2016 shows up."

On what he is doing investing wise:

"Not a lot. I don't want to hedge, but I probably have the smallest positions I've had. I had some big decisions earli! er in the! year. I'm sort of sitting and waiting. There is a lot of uncertainty over who the next fed chairman will be. What their attitude toward the diminution of QE will be. You have the whole Syria thing. I like to be patient and when I see something, go little bit crazy. I just don't see anything right now.

On whether it matters who the next Fed chairman will be:

"It totally matters. When you think back of what Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke have meant to markets, it is pretty naïve to say the next Fed chairman won't matter. It may not know why it matters and I may not know why, but it is a really, really important appointment."

On whether he has an idea on who the next chairman will be and what impact they will have on financial markets:

"I don't. There is a market consensus, and I have my views, but I probably wouldn't want to share them on National television."

On what he is doing if he is not completely sitting on cash:

"Ok, so my guess is, and I believe the market is topping. The stock market predicted seven out of the last three recessions; I predicted seven out of the last three bare markets. I started in a bear market, so I have a bearish bias. Where I am on the market is if you gave me a stock I really like, I will buy it. If you give me a stock I really hate, I'll short it. In terms of having some big position, long or show indez, or some exposure to the stock market right now, I am lost. I don't play when I am lost. I know in the future I won't be lost.

On whether other managers can say 'I'm going to take 2 and 20 and not invest:

"I don't know. The way I always approach a business is, you give me a pile of money and I'm going to try and pound the money for you overtime as best I can. This whole quarterly performance and risk-adjusted stuff invading the hedge fund, I don't get it. I can't imagine why anybody would pay two and 20 to what is out there. When I started in the business, there was me,! George S! oros, Paul Tudor Jones, Bruce Kovner. We were expected to make 20-percent a year in down markets. There was none of this 'Oh, I've got a risk-adjusted return of 8. That is how to two plus 20 came about.

On why Hedge Fund managers are less successful:

"There are too many, there were eight to ten back then. Somehow, 9000 people are pricing their product off of eight to ten people historic performance. I noticed a lot of the smart early investors and hedge fund clients were leaving, but they were more than replaced by state pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and so far they have been perfectly happy to get returns that our early investors would have never tolerated."

On whether he invests in other funds:

"Yes. I do"

On how he makes the decision of whom and want to invest with:

"I meet with them. Luckily, I've been in the business 35- years so I think I have a pretty good edge about what makes them just go over their investment philosophy and see whether they can make money over time."

On what makes of the media circus around credits like Herbalife and the personalities getting involved:

"To each his own. I am surprised because I always thought publicizing your positions was not a good thing. It might be great for a day or two, but these people forget, you have to get out of these positions… The only time I really got interested in Herbalife is when you guys did the show on Bill Stewarts. That got my attention. The guy was not looking to do a day trade or somebody shorted this or that. That was a s serious, serious investor. That will get my attention."

On what else is getting his attention:

"I'm very focused on the new fed chairman and I'm perfectly willing to wait a few weeks to find out."

On how close are we right now to a bear market:

"As long as the fed is printing money, not very close. That is why the issue of tapering and where we go with it, is so important. I don't really care whether we! got to 7! 0 or 65 in September. But if you tell me QE is going to be removed over nine or twelve month, that is a big deal. It is my belief that QE has subsidized all asset prices and when you remove that, the market will go down."

On what we see in asset prices is illusory:

"My first mentor and boss, Dr. Ellison from Pittsburg used to tell me, it takes hundreds of millions of dollars to manipulate a stock up but the minute you have this phony buying stock, it can go down on no volume. It can just re-price immediately. I personally think as long as this game goes on, assets will stay elevated. When he removed that prop, let's face it, the Fed says they're targeting asset prices. Those prices can adjust immediately. June was instructive. If you did not believe before the exit was going to be tough, the mere hunt that maybe in three months, if the economy is good, we might go from $85 billion a month to buying $65 Billion a month, cause that kind of havoc and risk around the world./ How in the world does anyone think when the actual exit happens that prices are not going to respond? It is silly."

On what he has big positions in:

"I don't have what I would call it takes courage to be a pig position in anything. I am long some Japanese equities. I am short some yen. In terms of big outside bets like I had earlier in the year in something like Australian dollar or, frankly, my bet in Japan were bigger earlier in the year, everything is sort of down and waiting for the next big shot."

On whether hedge funds are a force for good or for evil:

"I would say they are neither. I am surprised George [Soros] said that. I'm sorry I missed that show. What I would say, and because George is more in the macro world, is that specifically, he's probably talking about currencies. I would think that is the best example. I have made some currency bets if you don't have the fundamentals with you they're not right, you may win for a little while, but you're going to lose."!

O! n what asset class has been manipulated most because of QE:

"I would say stocks. I have been really wrong on the bond market in the last three or four months. I have been waiting for this decline for two years and completely missed it. First of all, the stuff we were talking about earlier in the show, that is too far down the road in my opinion, for the bond market to pay attention. I have always found in bonds, if you can predict a relative change in the economy, relative to consensus, you will make money in bonds if you get that equation right… Yes [even in the world of QE]. Two or three months ago, I thought people were overly optimistic on the U.S. economy. It is my judgment that assessment turned out to be correct. But bonds went down anyway for not economic reason because we have the unwind going on. For whatever reason. While I anticipated down the road, I did not think it would happen while the economy was softening."

On whether he is concerned were too focused on Syria to focus on the economy:

"I think we will always be focused on the economy. I am a little concerned that the Fed chairmanship could be hung up. It has become a complete circus. You have economists and politicians and newspaper people pining on it. My God, Obama should just go in the rose garden and appoint whoever he wants to appoint. That is his privilege and his job."

On how his investment philosophy reflects his personal views:

"I wouldn't say it is my investment philosophy, it is just a concern I have. Let me say when Al Hunt said this is easily fixable, I think it is a mistake most people make in investments. They look at the present instead of the future. If you analyze the debt is stated out there, it looks like it is fixed. We do a little change here and change there. That is not the case. Those charts we showed earlier had no demographics in them. What is going to happen now, because 1947 is when the baby boom start and fertility rates were over three than and are two now, 11,0! 00 senior! s every day come and we will have 11,000 new seniors. This will make the numbers of seniors who are getting entitlements explode relative to the working population. Instead of having give workers supporting entitlements, you will have 2.5 workers, and that is not on the government sheet. When you hear about the National debt being $16 Trillion or $12 Trillion, if you actually took what we promised to seniors and future taxes, present value to both of them, that number is $200 Trillion. That is the problem when you take the debt of future payments to seniors and put them on the balance sheet, and for god's sake, they should be on the balance sheet. I mentioned the can kicks back organization. They sponsored a bill in Congress, the Inform Act, which will bring that."

"True transparency. We need to at least get that on the books so people see it. The other thing that annoys me on this problem and then we can move on, all of these solutions, even Paul Ryan who got absolutely lambasted pushing grandma off the cliff, even he said, let's exempt everybody 55 and older. They already have this huge share of the pie. The problem is compounded away. If you don't address it today, the problem is going to be much bigger in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years."

Top Heal Care Companies To Own In Right Now

On how he looks back on the last five years since the financial crisis:

"So I find the situation somewhat bizarre. It is a little bit colored by how I thought we got into this. I actually did well in the financial crisis because I believe this was the reason we got into it. I'm not saying it was the major reason, but a necessary condition have a financial crisis, in my opinion, is too loose monetary policy that encourages people to take undue risk and go on the risk curve and do silly things. We should have shut this down in 1998, 1999. The NASDAQ bubble, we should have raised rates, we d! idn't.�! ��

**CREDIT: BLOOMBERG TELEVISION**

Bank Merger Arbitrage Spreads and Pipeline Indicate Different Trends

Sterne Agee is out with a key report discussing merger arbitrage spreads and trends in mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector. While the M&A trade has been on the back burner of late, there have been some developments in the arbitrage spreads for pending M&A deals and in the short interest for the buyers. The firm feels that merger arbitrage spreads seem reasonable at this time, but buying shares of the acquirers could bring higher returns based on such a high building short interest that is happening against the acquirers.

The recently announced PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ: PACW) and CapitalSource Inc. (NYSE: CSE) merger was called a beacon in an otherwise dim bank M&A landscape so far in 2013 as it was only a $2.3 billion deal total. So far, 2013 looks to register lower in banking M&A activity than the lean years of 2011 and 2012 at only about $9.1 billion in total so far, versus almost $17 billion for each of the past two years. There are only 13 pending transactions that exceed $100 million, and two of these are expected to close imminently.

The M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) and Hudson City Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: HCBK) transaction is the only pending deal of 2012 vintage due to various regulatory concerns. MTB currently has 9% short interest outstanding and PACW 15%. Another merger covered is the deal between Provident New York Bancorp (NASDAQ: PBNY) and Sterling Bancorp (NYSE: STL), and the balance are simply too small for us to warrant effort.

Arbitrage spreads in general are currently priced around 3.4%, and this is called fairly reasonable, according to the Sterne Agee banking team. Buying the spreads on these two largest transactions would yield about 10.4% and 8.9% on an annualized basis for merger-arb investors.

Sentiment is swinging against the buyers as mergers appear to be the only viable short-term solution to meaningfully grow bank balance sheets. The short interest remains at a fairly high at 6% to 7% of outstanding shares with an average of 17 days to cover.

The World Is Full Of Small Conspiracies

Many people are fascinated by the belief – or at least the prospect – of world dominating conspiracies. The Illuminati seems to regularly have a pronounced position in such fantasies. We should also pay due homage to the Knights Templar, the Freemasons, and the Bilderberg Group. Of course, there are others. When it comes to world domination, of equal substance is Spectre, K.A.O.S, and, topping the list, Hydra.

Back to the real world… when it comes to world domination, however, no one, no group, no grand conspiracy has ever been successful. Simply put, there's no one in charge. Complicating any search for a grand conspiracy is the fact that at the core of so many secret organizations is the exotic and even the arcane.

The esoteric with promises of majesty (sometimes even immortality) can make the imagination soar. It can be intoxicating and motivating. Unfortunately, as Umberto Eco exemplifies in has literary masterpiece, Foucault's Pendulum, the most powerful secret – the true underpinnings of these grand conspiracies – is "a secret without content."

The lack of world dominating conspiracy in no way discounts the existence of conspiracies. It's just that these grand conspiracies for a plethora of reasons, such as the unquestionable inability to effectively run such an extensive and influential bureaucracy secretly, do not exist. Instead, what are pervasive in society are small conspiracies. From illegal conclusion among technology companies to insider trading rings, and from corporate and political payoffs to organized crime syndicates working cooperatively, the world is littered with small conspiracies.

Small conspiracies are rampant inside and between some organizations and sometimes common in the financial services arena. There are leadership substitutions and a broad range of governmental and corporate espionage. You can no doubt come up with a multitude of examples, and if you're having trouble, just turn on the news.

Now, if the malicious element – the illegality and injurious nature – that defines, in part, a conspiracy was stripped away, we have some brilliant networking resulting in collaborative business at its finest. It's this superb networking that's foundational and critical to success of any small conspiracy.

Taking a step back… in critically examining the way self-made millionaires and some accomplished professional criminals build social networks to achieve their agendas, there's actually a high correlation in the nature of the strategic thinking and processes they employ. So, if you're looking to excel, creating and managing a non-malevolent conspiracy (i.e., a legal and ethically sound conspiracy) might very well get you the professional outcomes you're looking for.

Apple Inc's Interest in Beats Is Further Evidence of a Disturbing Trend

Although the deal has not yet been formally announced, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) is still expected to acquire Beats Electronics at some point in the near future. Much has already been written about the purchase -- its potential to bring a level of fashion to Apple's future wearables, Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine's music industry experience -- but what I find most interesting is what it says about Apple's iTunes business.

Apple's total iTunes revenue is growing, and at a rapid pace, but the model on which the business was built -- music downloads -- could slow. Streaming services are clearly the future, and though acquiring Beats should help Apple break into that business, it still poses a major challenge.

Downloads give way to subscriptions
Industry music downloads slipped 5.7% on an annual basis last year, according to Nielsen. Consistent with those figures, Asymco estimated that Apple's iTunes Music sales declined about 14% in 2013.

It's possible that a lack of quality music may have weighed on iTunes' sales last year (arguably, fewer must-have songs were released in 2013), but the growth of music subscription services cannot be discounted. Spotify, the leader in that business, now has 10 million paying subscribers, up from just 5 million 17 months ago.

iTunes and the ecosystem
That's a problem for Apple, at least in terms of its ecosystem. Apple's customers are notoriously loyal, partly because the company makes great products, but also because Apple makes it difficult to leave. It's possible to port a large iTunes catalog to Android or another rival operating system, but the process is far from straightforward.

Someone who has purchased a bunch of music through iTunes, then, is likely to remain an Apple customer, consistently buying a new iPhone every two years. The idea of the sticky ecosystem has been championed by bulls such as hedge fund manager David Einhorn, who has consistently argued that this property of iTunes makes Apple unlikely to suffer the same fate as the once-dominant phone giants that preceded it.

But a customer who switches to Spotify, or some other similar subscription service, is device agnostic. In fact, the very appeal of these subscription services is that they allow their customers to access music from anywhere -- just about any Internet-connected device can access Spotify, no matter the manufacturer.

Apple is less likely to retain its customers
In acquiring Beats, Apple will get access to its own streaming service, along with a team of music industry veterans who can help it negotiate contracts with musicians and labels.

Although Beats' subscription service trails Spotify in terms of total subscribers, it's still relatively new. Apple's engineering expertise could improve Beats Music significantly, much like it transformed SoundJam MP into iTunes.

But even if Apple were to eventually offer the premier streaming music service, and go so far as to restrict it to the iOS platform, it would be worse than having a robust iTunes business. Switching between music streaming services is easy; losing access to a catalog of songs that one has invested hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of dollars in is far more difficult.

It remains to be seen if Apple will actually go through the acquisition, and, if it does, what it will do with Beats Music. But Apple's interest in a streaming music service -- and, more broadly, the growth in the larger sector -- is a disturbing sign for the long-term strength of its ecosystem.

Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
Apple recent recruited a secret-development Dream Team to guarantee their newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out...and some early viewers are even claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, AND the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of these type of devices will be sold per year. But one small company makes this gadget possible. And their stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!

Four Stocks To Buy In A Choppy Market

Disclosure: I'm long Lannett Company, Anika Therapeutics and Buffalo Wild Wings.

"Human nature hasn't changed much in 5,000 years. There's this thing of greed versus fear. The market's going up, you're not worried. All of a sudden it starts going down and you start saying, 'I remember my uncle told me, you know, somebody lost it all in the Depression. People were jumping out of windows.' … People start to think about these things with the market going down. These ugly thoughts start coming into the picture. Gotta get 'em out. You have to wipe those out and you–you either believe in it or you don't."  – Peter Lynch, Frontline, 1996

While the great Peter Lynch, who compiled one of the best track records in history with Fidelity's Magellan fund, uttered those words nearly two decades ago, any successful investor knows that they're still true today. The market–and your portfolio–will always have their ups and downs. But if you believe in your stocks (and the market's long-term track record in general), you don't bail on equities when times get tough; in fact, as Lynch said in that same interview, you're probably best off adding to your holdings when the seas get choppy.

The same can be said when it comes to investment strategies. As hedge fund guru Joel Greenblatt explained in his Little Book that Beats the Market, no strategy can beat market all the time. If one did, people would load into it as soon as it was discovered, pushing up the prices of the stocks it identified to unreasonable levels, and killing the strategy. But, as Greenblatt also notes, over the long term you can beat the market with sound investing strategies–if you stick with them through the ups and downs, and perhaps even have the intestinal fortitude to increase your allocations to them when they're scuffling.

That's the trick, of course–and it's a difficult one to master. As Lynch noted, humans are emotional creatures, and we can get particularly emotional when our money is involved. When our stocks or the broader market start declining, or a strategy stops working in the short-term, the wait for a rebound can seem interminable. Every bone in your body will be telling you to sell, sell, sell, that if you stick with your approach, you'll lose it all–your retirement money, your kids' college tuition, you name it.

But if you have studied and learned from great strategists like Lynch and Greenblatt, and you've examined research showing how poor market-timing decisions crush many investors' portfolios over the long haul, you can stay calm during such difficult periods. That's why, instead of being panicked about some of my worst-performing strategies so far in 2014–my Motley Fool and Martin Zweig-based approaches, both down between 12% and 13% year-to-date–I'm actually bullish on them.

Despite their recent struggles amid the market's rotation from momentum and growth stocks to safer, dividend-paying stocks, both of these strategies have excellent long-term track records.

A 10-stock portfolio picked using the Fool-based model (inspired by the writings of Fool co-creators Tom and David Gardner) has averaged annualized returns of 14.8% since its mid-2003 inception versus 6.0% for the S&P 500. A 10-stock portfolio picked using the Zweig-based model, meanwhile, has averaged annualized returns of nearly 10% since its mid-2003 inception. (Return figures through May 14.)

Keep in mind that it's not just that a good strategy returns to form after a rough stretch–very often that's when it will generate some of its best returns, as investors warm to the bargains they've been ignoring while the strategy has struggled. That's what I've often seen with my Guru Strategies.

My Greenblatt-based 10-stock portfolio, for example, lagged the broader market in 2011 and 2012, but then roared back last year, returning more than 51%. This year, while the S&P is up about 2%, the portfolio is up more than 8%. Had I given up on the strategy after 2012, I would've missed out on some huge gains.

In my extensive study of history's most successful investors, I've found the same to be true in their careers. Lynch's Magellan fund lost 22.6%–more than four times the S&P's loss–in 1981, for example, and was in the red again in 1982, a year in which the S&P 500 rose more than 21%. But the trouble was temporary, and the rebound tremendous: Magellan gained 82.8% in 1983.

So while my Zweig- and Fool-based models are struggling in 2014, I expect they'll bounce back strong. When the tide will turn, no one knows for sure. That's while I'll stay disciplined and keep investing in stocks they approve of, like these four.

Anika Therapeutics
Massachusetts-based Anika Therapeutics develops therapeutic products for tissue protection, healing and repair based on hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring polymer found throughout the body that enhances joint function and coats, protects, cushions and lubricates soft tissues. Shares have bucked the downward biotech tend this year, thanks to better than expected first quarter earnings and the FDA's approval of Monovisc, its single injection treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain.

Anika Therapeutics a favorite of both my Zweig- and Lynch-based models. The Fool-based model likes its strong recent growth in earnings per share and sales (362% and 123%, respectively, last quarter); rising profit margins (13.08% two years ago, 16.48%, last year, and 27.41% this year); 0.46 P/E-to-growth ratio, and lack of any long-term debt. The Zweig-based strategy likes that its earnings growth is strong and accelerating (362% last quarter, vs. an average of 72% in the three previous quarters, vs. 47% long term), and that it has no long-term debt.

Lannett Company
This 72-year-old Philadelphia-based company makes generic prescription pharmaceutical products for customers throughout the United States. The $1.3-billion-market-cap firm gets strong interest from my Fool-based model. Lannett was hit hard by the recent biotech slump–too hard, according to this approach. It likes that Lannett grew EPS by 390% and sales by 84% last quarter, and that its profit margins have been rising (-0.26% two years ago, 3.21% last year, and 8.82% this year). It also likes that Lannett's debt/equity ratio is less than 1%.

Buffalo Wild Wings
Founded in 1982, Minnesota-based Buffalo Wild Wings is a restaurant/bar chain with more than 1,000 locations across all 50 states in the United States, as well as in Canada and Mexico. It gets strong interest from the Zweig-based strategy, thanks in part to its strong, accelerating growth. EPS grew 71% last quarter, up from average of 41% in the previous three quarters, up from 22% long term (I use an average of the 3-, 4- and 5-year EPS growth rates to determine a long term rate).

The Zweig model also likes that sales growth–not one-time factors–has driven earnings growth over the long term (25% long term sales growth rate, using an average of the 3-, 4- and 5-year sales growth rates). And it likes that Buffalo Wild Wings' debt/equity ratio of just 7% is far below the restaurant industry average of 158%.

WSFS Financial
Delaware-based WSFS ($600-million-market-cap) is more than 180 years old, making it the seventh-oldest bank continuously operating under the same name in the United States. It operates more than 50 offices, mostly in Delaware and Pennsylvania though it has one office each in Virginia and Nevada as well.

Wall Street Bets on Bond Revival in Trader Hiring Spree

Wall Street firms are starting to bet on an end to the profit-eroding boredom in credit markets by building their trading desks.

Nomura Holdings Inc. (8604) has added 10 to its U.S. corporate debt team this year, an increase of about 10%, and plans to expand further, according to Michael Guarnieri, the bank’s global head of credit products in New York. The latest hires are high-yield debt traders Daniel Frommer and James Incognito, who joined this month.

Debt trading hasn’t been what it was before the 2008 crisis from a profit point of view for two main reasons: New rules have reduced the wagers banks can make with their own money, and near record-low yields are eroding returns. But with interest rates forecast to finally go up sometime soon, it’s poised to become more lucrative.

“Volatility and the so-called tail risks always sneak up on you and are always something you don’t think is coming,” Guarnieri said today in a phone interview. “We’re not blind to the fact that volumes are low, but we are investing over the long term.”

Best Managed Healthcare Companies To Buy Right Now

Others are trying the same tack. Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) just raised $11 billion in capital in part to bolster its debt-trading business, after earlier this month announcing four new members for its credit unit. Guggenheim Securities LLC this year hired a corporate-debt team from Lazard Capital Markets.

Trading Revenues

When the Federal Reserve starts raising benchmark rates as soon as next year, corporate-bond yields figure to move higher with them. The current 3.6% average yield on corporate debt is about 2 percentage points below the norm over the past decade, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data.

Here’s why more volatility may translate into bigger profits for banks: Investors will probably pull money from bond funds as prices fall, leading managers to sell securities to come up with the cash. In that scenario, brokers stand to earn bigger commissions because there’s usually greater risk -- and potential reward -- involved in an unstable market.

Credit’s not a bad place for securities firms to hire in the meantime, anyway, because traders give a boost to teams of investment bankers trying to nab bond offerings. Banks need to maintain groups of traders and salespeople if they want to win lucrative assignments shepherding company debt into the hands of insatiable investors.

Underwriting Fees

Underwriting corporate debt has been one of the bright spots on Wall Street, with firms earning about $10.6 billion to underwrite $1.5 trillion of the notes last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s up from $7.6 billion in 2011.

Nomura’s latest hires include Frommer, who joins as a managing director in high-yield trading and is formerly of UBS AG. (UBSN) He was registered at the Japanese bank as of May 12, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority records show. Incognito, a speculative-grade loan trader, began at Nomura as of May 19 after joining from BNP Paribas SA, according to the Finra records.

Credit trading may have lost some of its luster for the world’s biggest banks, but Wall Street is betting a bigger payday isn’t far away.

---

Check out Schwab Founder: Indexing Is Not Passive on ThinkAdvisor.

Mid-Day Market Update: Nordstrom Rises On Upbeat Results; WWE Shares Slide

Related BZSUM Market Wrap for Friday, May 16: Stocks Rally Out Of Thursday's Valley Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Markets Rallying Into The Close As Dillard's Catches A Boost On Earnings

Midway through trading Friday, the Dow traded up 0.05 percent to 16,455.73 while the NASDAQ declined 0.16 percent to 4,062.98. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.07 percent to 1,872.19.

Leading and Lagging Sectors
In trading on Friday, telecommunications services shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.83 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), up 5.2 percent, and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (NYSE: TLK), up 5.3 percent. Basic materials shares fell about0.33 percent in trading on Friday.

Top losers in the sector included Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF), down 4 percent, and Thompson Creek Metals Company (NYSE: TC), off 3 percent.

Top Headline
On Thursday, J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter results. J.C. Penney's same-store sales also surged 6.2% in the quarter. J.C. Penney posted a quarterly loss of $352 million, or $1.15 per share. However, analysts were expecting a loss of $1.25 per share. Its revenue climbed to $2.8 billion, beating analysts' estimates of $2.71 billion.

Equities Trading UP
Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX) shares shot up 18.97 percent to $36.50 on confirmation of approach by potential buyers and partners.

Shares of J. C. Penney Company (NYSE: JCP) got a boost, shooting up 14.70 percent to $9.60 after the company reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter results. J.C. Penney's same-store sales also surged 6.2% in the quarter.

Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) shares were also up, gaining 12.85 percent to $69.39 as the company reported upbeat first-quarter results. Nordstrom posted a quarterly profit of $0.72 per share on revenue of $2.93 billion. However, analysts were expecting a profit of $0.68 per share on revenue of $2.86 billion. Analysts at Credit Suisse upgraded Nordstrom from Neutral to Outperform.

Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) were 43.16 percent to $11.33 following announcement of NBCUniveral deal on Thursday. Benchmark downgraded WWE from Buy to Hold.

Just Energy Group (NYSE: JE) shares tumbled 12.60 percent to $6.31 on Q1 results. Just Energy reported its Q1 earnings of $1.06 per share on revenue of $3.61 billion.

Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ) was down, falling 7.31 percent to $23.47 after the company reported weaker-than-expected Q1 earnings and issued a weak forecast.

Commodities
In commodity news, oil traded up 0.60 percent to $102.11, while gold traded up 0.01 percent to $1,293.70.

Silver traded down 0.56 percent Friday to $19.38, while copper rose 0.13 percent to $3.15.

Eurozone
European shares were mixed today.

The eurozone's STOXX 600 gained 0.14 percent, the Spanish Ibex Index rose 1.10 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index surged 1.12 percent.

Meanwhile, the German DAX declined 0.28 percent and the French CAC 40 tumbled 0.99 percent while UK shares rose 0.16 percent.

Economics
US housing starts surged 13.2% to an annual rate of 1.07 million in April, versus a revised rate of 947,000 in March. However, economists were expecting a rate of 980,000 in April.

The preliminary reading of Reuter's/University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index fell to 81.80 in May, versus a prior reading of 84.10. However, economists were expecting a reading of 84.50.

Posted-In: Earnings News Guidance Eurozone Futures Forex Global Econ #s Economics Intraday Update Markets Movers Tech

© 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  Most Popular Livestream Video Service Down What To Do With Apple Stock Ahead Of Split Warren Buffett Reveals His Latest Gems In 13F The Most Overvalued S&P 500 Stock Is...? Union Pacific Reports 2 for 1 Stock Split; Boosts Capital Spending to $4.1B in 2014 Best Stocks Under $5 Right Now Related Articles (CLF + BZSUM) Market Wrap for Friday, May 16: Stocks Rally Out Of Thursday's Valley Mid-Afternoon Market Update: Markets Rallying Into The Close As Dillard's Catches A Boost On Earnings Mid-Day Market Update: Nordstrom Rises On Upbeat Results; WWE Shares Slide UPDATE: Cliffs Natural Resources Downgraded by Macquarie Mid

Top 5 Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top 5 Stocks To Buy Right Now: Dassault Systemes SA (DASTY.PK)

Dassault Systemes SA provides software solutions and consulting services. The Company's global customer base includes companies primarily in 11 industrial sectors: automotive; industrial equipment; aerospace; consumer goods; consumer packaged goods; energy; high-tech; shipbuilding; life sciences; construction, and business services. It organizes its business and markets its products and services in two types of applications: the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market, to support product development, production, maintenance and lifecycle management, and the Mainstream three-dimensional (3D) market, which is primarily focused on product design. Its software applications address a range of products, from apparel, consumer goods, machine parts and semiconductors to automobiles, aircraft, ships and factories. In March 2011, the Company acquired Intercim. In April 2011, the Company acquired Enginuity PLM. On March 31, 2010, it acquired the IBM PLM. On June 8, 2010, the C ompany acquired Exalead, a French company providing Search Platforms and Search-Based Applications (SBA). In June 2010, the Company acquired Geensoft, a provider of embedded systems development solutions.

The Company has developed a software applications portfolio, organized in brands, in order to provide solutions responding to the requirements of product development: Design, Realistic Simulation, Digital Manufacturing and Production, Collaborative Innovation, and Lifelike Experiences. The Company's principal brands include SolidWorks , CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA and Universal Services.

SolidWorks

SolidWorks applications include 3D tools to design, manage, simulate, sustain and communicate. SolidWorks include 3D Design, Data management, Simulation and Environmental assessments. SolidWorks 3D's include complex part and assembly modeling! , production drawing creation, data management, design validation and simulation of motion, f low and structural performance, environmental impact evalu! at! ion and publishing. SolidWorks Data Management solutions enable control over all design information, eliminating concerns about version control or data loss. SolidWorks simulation technology ensures the quality and performance of the design before users commit to production. SolidWorks Sustainability technology enables users to assess the environmental impact of their design to create more sustainable products.

CATIA

CATIA is the Company's PLM solution for 3D collaborative creation. CATIA addresses the complete product development process, from early product concept specification through product in service. CATIA V6 is designed to enable the spectrum of next generation collaborative virtual design. Its product portfolio is consists of four main domains, which include systems, shape design, mechanical design and equipment engineering. CATIA Systems captures, manages, and tracks product requirements with traceability, ensuring that early requir emen ts are met accurately all along the product development cycle. CATIA Shape provides a line of surfacing, reverse engineering, and visualization solutions to create, modify, and validate any type of complex shapes and help streamline the transition and collaboration among industrial designers. CATIA Mechanical delivers a collaborative and flexible design environment with concurrent engineering and change management through relational design. CATIA Equipment provides an integrated environment that enables the collaborative detailed design of electronic, electrical, and fluidic systems in context of a virtual product.

SIMULIA

SIMULIA provides a scalable portfolio of realistic simulation solutions designed to enable companies across a range of industries to improve product performance, reduce the number of physical prototypes and drive innovation. SIM! ULIA's ! V6 portfolio spans include finite element analysis, multi-physics solutions, optimization analy sis, and simulation lifecycle management. Its finite e! lement! a! nalysis! software companies are able to create and test virtual prototypes of products and processes. Its multi-physics solutions enable companies to reach beyond the boundaries of a single domain. SIMULIA also provides design exploration and optimization technology, enabling designers and engineers to perform rapid trade-off studies of real-world behavior and accelerate product development. SIMULIA offers simulation lifecycle management, based upon the Company's ENOVIA architecture offering an open collaborative platform for management of simulation data, processes and intellectual property.

DELMIA

DELMIA covers the Company's PLM digital manufacturing solutions ranging from virtual process definition, workcell set-up, optimization, scheduling, and operation, to maintenance of real-time production systems. DELMIA V6 covers four principal domains, including Manufacturing planning, with 3D process and resource planning tools for creating and optim izing bu ild-to-order and lean production manufacturing systems; plant and resources engineering, with tools to virtually define and optimize manufacturing assets concurrently with manufacturing planning; program and control engineering, to virtually program, validate and simulate manufacturing systems for the virtual commissioning of production facilities, and control and production execution, which offers an accurate virtual production system to enable companies to track real time production activities, perform schedule changes, launch new programs and introduce model changeovers, and schedule maintenance operations.

ENOVIA

ENOVIA addresses business process needs across a broad spectrum of industries, managing simple, as well as engineered, complex products. The ENOVIA V6 products are organized by business processes, which include governan! ce, globa! l sourcing, global sourcing, and unified live collaboration. The Governance domain is designed to he lp compan ies launch enterprise new product introductions on! time and! ! on budget! . Governance includes these sub-processes: Requirements Management, Portfolio Configuration, Program Management, Decision Support Business Intelligence, and Compliance. The Global Sourcing domain allows companies to leverage supply chain capabilities throughout the product lifecycle. The IP Lifecycle domain helps eliminate costly product development errors as it is designed to enable improved cross-functional product design, manufacturing planning and performance simulation. The Unified Live Collaboration domain allows companies to deploy product lifecycle processes across the extended enterprise by providing a single, real-time view of information protocol (IP) across all business process domains, collaborative process management capabilities, and a service-oriented architecture that integrates with other enterprise system

The Company competes with Parametric Technology Corporation, ANSYS, Inc., MSC Software Corporation, Oracle Corporation, SAP AG , Siemens PLM Software, Adobe, Altair Engineering, Autonomy, Aveva, Bentley, Google, Intergraph, MathWorks, Nemetschek AG, Right Hemisphere, and Autodesk, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  Autodesk's competitors include Adobe Systems (ADBE), Dassault Systemes SA (DASTY.PK), and Parametric Technology Corporation (PMTC). Here is a table comparing these companies.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html

Campbell Cuts Sales Forecast as U.S. Soup Sales Disappoint

Top 10 Electric Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Campbell Soup (CPB), the world's largest soup maker, cut its full-year sales forecast after posting weaker-than-expected quarterly sales as increased promotions failed to boost its U.S. soup division. Shares of Campbell, which also makes Prego pasta sauces and Pepperidge Farm cookies, fell 5.4 percent in premarket trading. The company said it expects sales from continuing operations to increase about 3 percent in fiscal 2014 ending July, compared with the previous forecast of a 4 to 5 percent rise. Campbell has been facing stiff competition from private-label brands and smaller rivals and has had trouble attracting younger, more health-conscious consumers to its canned soup products. The company launched eight new soups in January, including its first Latin-inspired cooking soups, and new varieties in its Healthy Request line. However, Campbell said Monday it was disappointed that its plans did not drive stronger soup sales in the third quarter ended April 27. "Despite an increase in the frequency of our promotional activity in the third quarter, we did not realize the anticipated lifts in a challenging consumer environment." Chief Executive Officer Denise Morrison said in a statement. Campbell didn't give a figure for U.S. soup sales for the quarter, but said sales "held steady" after growing 14 percent in the same quarter a year earlier. The company said it expects full-year adjusted earnings to be at the low end of its forecast of $2.53 to $2.58 a share. Analysts on average expect a profit of $2.53 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Net income attributable to Campbell rose 1.7 percent to $184 million, or 58 cents a share, in the third quarter. Excluding items, the company earned 62 cents a share. Net sales grew 0.4 percent to $1.97 billion. Analysts on average were expecting a profit of 59 cents a share on revenue of $2 billion. The company's shares had risen about 4 percent so far this year to Friday's close of $45.12. Pre-made soups can contain a large number of ingredients containing GMOs. For instance, Campbell's (CPB) popular condensed Tomato Soup lists high fructose corn syrup as its second biggest ingredient. According to the Non-GMO Project, nearly 88 percent of all corn planted in the United States is GMO.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Own In Right Now

Restoration Hardware (NYSE: RH  ) will release its quarterly report on Thursday, and investors have sent the stock soaring ever since spring. But with the arrival of the holiday season, can Restoration Hardware hold off competition from Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR  ) and Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM  ) and continue its excellent performance?

Restoration Hardware came close to failure during the aftermath of the housing bust before a private-equity firm saved the ailing retailer. Now having been public for more than a year, Restoration Hardware has emerged with a new attitude, using the resiliency of upscale luxury shoppers to tap into a market that it hopes will be more reliable. Yet Pier 1 and Williams-Sonoma have their own approaches to the industry, and they've also seen some success as home prices rise and shoppers become more confident about their financial futures. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Restoration Hardware over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its report.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Own In Right Now: Beacon Roofing Supply Inc.(BECN)

Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. distributes residential and non-residential roofing materials. The company?s residential roofing products include asphalt shingles, synthetic slates and tiles, clay and concrete tiles, slates, nail base insulation, metal roofing, felt, wood shingles and shakes, nails and fasteners, metal edgings and flashings, prefabricated flashings, ridges and soffit vents, gutters and downspouts, and other accessories. Its non-residential roofing products comprise single-ply roofing; asphalt; metal; modified bitumen; built-up roofing; cements and coatings; insulation?flat stock and tapered; commercial fasteners; metal edges and flashings; skylights, smoke vents, and roof hatches; and sheet metal products, including copper, aluminum, and steel. The company also provides complementary building products, such as vinyl siding; red, white, and yellow cedar siding; fiber cement siding; soffits; house wraps; vapor barriers; and stone veneer, as well as vinyl windo ws, aluminum windows, wood windows, turn-key windows, and wood and patio doors. In addition, it offers specialty lumber products comprising redwood, red cedar decking, mahogany decking, pressure treated lumber, fire treated plywood, synthetic decking, PVC trim boards, millwork, and custom millwork. Further, the company provides waterproofing systems, building insulations, air barrier systems, gypsum, moldings, cultured stone, and patio covers. Its customer base consists of contractors, home builders, building owners, and other resellers. Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. distributes its products through 194 branches in 38 states of the United States; and 6 Canadian provinces. The company was founded in 1928 and is based in Peabody, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Investment Contrarians]

  In the small-cap area, take a look at the suppliers to the housing market. Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (NASDAQ: BECN) is a stock that you should keep an eye on. The company supplies builders and roofing companies with roofing supplies.

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Beacon Roofing Supply (NASDAQ: BECN) fell 7.11 percent to $34.25 after Robert W. Baird downgraded the stock from Outperform to Neutral.

  Commodities

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Own In Right Now: Ibio Inc (IBIO)

iBio, Inc. (iBio), incorporated on April 17, 2008, is a biotechnology company focused on commercializing its technologies, the iBioLaunch platform for vaccines and therapeutic proteins, as well as the iBioModulator platform for vaccine enhancement. Vaccine candidates on its platform are applicable to newly emerging strains of hemagglutinin type 1 and neuraminidase type 1 (H1N1), swine-like influenza, hemagglutinin type 5 and neuraminidase type 1 (H5N1) avian influenza, yellow fever, and anthrax. The Company licenses or otherwise grants use rights to government and non-governmental organization (NGO) entities for not-for-profit applications of the intellectual property for the development or application for which they granted or were granted funding, and to Fraunhofer USA, Inc. (FhCMB) for research purposes and applications in other fields.

The Company�� platform technology is referred to as iBioLaunch technology or the iBioLaunch platform, and the category of this technology is referred to as plant-based technology or as a plant-based platform. The Company has exclusive control over, and the rights to ownership of, the intellectual property related to all human health and veterinary influenza applications of the plant-based technology developed by FhCMB. Its property consists of the technology platform pursuant, to which hydroponically grown green plants can be used for the accelerated development and manufacture of high-value proteins of interest as candidate therapeutic products and vaccines applicable to a range of disease agents, such as influenza, sleeping sickness, anthrax, plague, human papillomavirus (HPV), and veterinary influenza applications.

Through FhCMB and their funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it is developing vaccine candidates targeting pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) viruses based upon the iBioLaunch platform. These candidates have demonstrated immunogenicity and have been successfully tested in mice and ferrets for protective efficacy.! Like its candidate vaccines for seasonal influenza, its candidate vaccines for avian influenza are subunit vaccines. iBio has commercial rights to vaccine candidates developed pursuant to its business structure based on fusing a protein component of HPV called the E7 antigen, to the LicKM protein of the bacterium Clostridium thermocellum. It has commercial rights to an oral anthrax booster vaccine candidate developed by FhCMB in collaboration with the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  With just a quick glance, Ibio Inc. (NYSEMKT:IBIO) doesn't look like anything particularly special. The stock's just bouncing around, and we've not heard any particularly meaningful news from IBIO in a few weeks.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  If the name Ibio Inc. (NYSEMKT:IBIO) rings a bell, it may be because I put some bullish thoughts into print regarding the stock back on June 21st. I reiterated my optimism on July 12th. What can I say? It's fun to be right. IBIO shares have advanced 17% since my first look in late June. Then again, most of that big jump has unfurled in the last couple of days, meaning Ibio Inc. is overbought. Do we trust the breakout move, or do we fear a pullback? Answer: That depends.

Hot Solar Stocks To Own Right Now: CDI Corporation(CDI)

CDI Corp. provides engineering and information technology project outsourcing solutions and professional staffing services primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It operates in four segments: ES, MRI, Anders, and ITS. The ES segment provides engineering, design, project management, staffing, and outsourcing solutions to oil, gas, refining, alternative energy, power generation and energy transmission, chemicals, and heavy manufacturing industries; engineering, design, logistics, and staffing services to the defense industry, primarily in marine design, systems development, and military aviation support; engineering, design, project management, staffing, and facility start-up services to pharmaceutical, bio-pharmaceutical, and regulated medical services industries; and architecture, civil and environmental engineering, communication technology, and consulting services to governmental, educational, and private industry customers. The MRI segment opera tes as a global franchisor that does business as MRINetwork and provides the use of its trademarks, business systems, and training and support services to its franchisees who engage in the search and recruitment of executive, technical, professional, and managerial personnel for employment by their customers. It also provides training, implementation services, and back-office services to enable franchisees to pursue staffing opportunities. The Anders segment provides contract and permanent placement candidates to customers in the areas of architecture, building services, rail, commercial and industrial construction, consulting engineering, facilities management, interior design, surveying, and town planning. The ITS segment offers various information technology related services, which include staffing augmentation, permanent placement, outsourcing, and consulting. The company was founded in 1950 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Philadelphia-based CDI Corp. (NYSE: CDI  ) has won a $36 million contract to provide watercraft engineering and marine services to the U.S. Navy.

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

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Own In Right Now: Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1)

Deutsche Boerse AG is a Germany-based international financial marketplace operator. It operates four business segments: Xetra; Eurex; Clearstream, and Market Data & Analytics. The Xetra business segment comprises three business areas: cash market using the Xetra electronic trading system and Xetra Frankfurt specialist trading; central counterparty for equities, and admission of securities to listing. The Eurex business segment comprises four business areas: electronic derivatives market trading platform Eurex; electronic options trading platform ISE; over-the-counter trading platforms Eurex Bonds, Eurex Repo, and Eurex Clearing. The Clearstream business segment comprises three business areas: custody, administration and settlement services for securities; global securities financing services, and investment funds services. The Market Data & Analytics business segment comprises two business areas: sales of price information and information distribution, and index development and sales. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nikolaj Gammeltoft]

  The mishap followed others earlier in the week. An Oct. 30 malfunction interrupted data transmission at Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1)�� International Securities Exchange, while Nasdaq was unable to distribute prices for its benchmark stock indexes for almost an hour on Oct. 29. The breakdowns refocused concern that the distribution of trading over dozens of mostly automated venues has made U.S. securities markets fundamentally flawed.

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  QSC AG (QSC), a provider of telephony and data services to small and medium-sized businesses, jumped 9.5 percent after posting an increase in quarterly net income. Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1) retreated 2.7 percent after Equinet Bank AG downgraded the shares to sell.

• [By Nikolaj Gammeltoft]

  IntercontinentalExchange, the energy and commodity futures bourse known as ICE, is buying the U.S. equity exchange operator as the profitability of stock trading declines and derivatives generate more income. European Union regulators approved the deal on June 24 after blocking Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1)�� purchase of NYSE last year, citing concern over competition in derivatives and clearing.

• [By Whitney Kisling]

  A fault today halted transactions on Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1)�� Eurex unit, Europe�� largest derivatives market, for about an hour through 9:20 a.m. Frankfurt time.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Own In Right Now: Mdu Res Group Inc (MDU)

MDU Resources Group, Inc. operates as a diversified natural resource company in the United States. The company�s Electric segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. As of December 31, 2012, this segment provided its electric services to approximately 131,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in 177 communities and adjacent rural areas. Its Natural Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, as well as in Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. This segment served approximately 859,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in 334 communities and adjacent rural areas. The company�s Pipeline and Energy Services segment provides natural gas transportation, underground storage, processing, and gathering services, as well as oil gathering through regulated and nonregulated pipeline systems primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. This segment also provides cathodic protection and other energy-related services. Its Exploration and Production segment engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas in the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent regions of the United States and in and around the Gulf of Mexico. The company�s Construction Materials and Contracting segment mines, aggregates, and markets crushed stone, sand, gravel, and related construction materials, including ready-mixed concrete, cement, asphalt, liquid asphalt, and other value-added products. This segment also provides utility excavation services and inside electrical wiring, cabling, and mechanical services; sells and distributes electrical materials; and manufactures and distributes specialty equipment. MDU Resources Group, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is based in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Richard Stavros]

  Created with YCharts

  
  In addition to beating the market since the beginning of the year, diversified energy utilities, such as MDU Resources Group Inc (NYSE: MDU), Dominion Resources Inc (NYSE: D) and Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), significantly outperformed pure-play or predominantly all-electric utilities, such as Duke Energy Corp (NYSE: DUK) and Entergy Corp (NYSE: ETR), by as much as several percentage points (See Chart B).
  
  Interestingly, among top performers, there was no dominant strategy for exploiting natural gas demand, as these firms were involved in all aspects of the value chain–from exploration and production to distribution and storage. These companies have not only been benefiting from a natural gas surplus, but also from the pressing need to expand US energy infrastructure to deliver this newfound bounty to businesses and households.
  
  

  Chart B: Diversified Energy Utilities Outperformed Electric-Only Peers

• [By David Dittman]

  Question: I have been a fan of MDU Resources Inc (NYSE: MDU) because of its many operations including oil and gas, materials, construction, and now refining. Long-term thoughts?

Mercedes-Benz S-Class lives up to high price

The S-Class is Mercedes-Benz's top sedan, the big dog, the car that gives lesser models — such as the entry CLA — their cachet.

It is hugely powerful, massively expensive and one of the biggest cars on the road.

It is a car that begs for sarcasm, ribbing, dismissive remarks because of its excesses.

M-B redesigned the supersize sedan for the 2014 model year, which began last fall for the car company. The result is a machine that's worth a sly covet.

You can reasonably argue that any car with a starting price of about $94,000 should pluck the strings of desire. Still, Test Drive has wheeled around in some pretty pricey machines that did not deliver the gratification that their window-stickers implied.

The S550 does.

The S-Class lineup has dropped the gas-electric hybrid and diesel versions, which had been the lowest-price models.

But the S550, now the base model, starts $3,005 less than its 2013 price, and the S63 AMG go-fast version is $1,405 less.

The new car is lighter due to aluminum body panels, which weigh less than steel, and it has generally better mileage ratings and higher engine-power ratings.

But here's our favorite attribute: Despite its size, complexity, opulence and muscle-car-plus power, it makes a sweet daily driver. After a short learning curve, you can operate most features quickly (if not always logically) and ramble about as if you were driving a normal car.

Many big cars and trucks are daunting behind the wheel, mainly because their size makes them hard to park, unpleasant to maneuver in thick traffic and because they often come with an array of gadgets that can be tricky to master.

The S550 seems to skip that, as does its high-performance AMG version, the S63.

No cheating the laws of physics, of course. No matter how agile it feels, it's nevertheless 17-plus feet long, which is 2 feet more than the midsize family sedans that make up the biggest slice of car sales.

But it's more than a foot shorter than ! a full-size crew-cab pickup, so if that's your normal ride you'd think the S550 is a tidy size.

M-B says the S-Class buyer averages 62 years old, is almost certainly a man (83% of buyers), married (87%), has a college degree (81%) and enjoys a median income of $324,000.

Buyers of the AMG, M-B likes to say — with only slight exaggeration — are half as old and twice as rich: 40s and $500,000 to $600,000 yearly income.

The test cars were a $122,895 S550 4Matic (M-B's term for all-wheel drive), and a $161,935 S63 AMG 4Matic.

Both had the latest thing — optional Night View Assist Plus ($2,260). Developed by Autoliv, it uses two infrared cameras up front to spot and alert you to pesky deer, weaving pedestrians and the like. One camera sees down the road and the other is a high-resolution unit for crisp images when you get closer.

The system displays a red rectangle around the person or animal of concern, and if you get very close and the critter's not scampering away, a bright light comes on to shock the person or animal into attentive escape.

You can keep night vision turned off if you find it unsettling or distracting.

On our first night it spied and highlighted a dog walker in an alley we assumed was deserted.

But the black-and-white display is between the speedometer and tachometer on the dashboard, so the driver has to look down to watch the picture. Seems like a natural system for head-up display in the windshield, but M-B believes the image quality wouldn't be sufficient.

Cameras on many of today's cars look behind and, sometimes, to the side, to help you park. A system that looks forward is slightly disorienting, and acclimating to it takes some time. Just don't drive around staring at the night-vision screen, or you'll miss more obvious obstacles and wish you'd have had your eyes up.

Also of note ...

The S550 was easier to like than the more-powerful S63 AMG, which had a coarser feel and was more intrusive when it went through th! e automat! ic stop/start cycle that automakers use to save fuel.

Seats are max comfortable — once you find the control that lets you disable the silliness, such as side bolsters that press in on your thorax to keep you in place during those daredevil, 8-mph turns in parking lots.

The rear seat has so much leg and knee space that it's hard to imagine backbenchers feeling crowded, even with NBA players sitting ahead of them. The outboard seats also power recline and slide (part of the $2,600 Warmth and Comfort package).

There are three safety belts back there, but the middle slot is too skinny for humans.

Heating elements in the armrests and console lid (more of that Warmth and Comfort package) can be activated to complement the configurable seat heaters, if you so set the system.

So-comfy headrests, thanks to detachable pillows from that Comfort package.

The easy-going driving feel can be made more taut via separate "sport settings," one for the chassis, another for the transmission.

Climate control can pump in a scent you choose from among several bottles. We oppose any artificial smells not related to petroleum or leather (and would sign a petition demanding that department store perfume counters be closed as clean-air threats).

Stubby electronic gearshift on the steering column, used across M-B models, continues to feel unnatural, non-intuitive.

Except for the optional night vision, and perhaps the heated armrests, it's hard to find shout-worthy features on the S-Class. But that's proper. A car as well-executed as the 2014 S-Class also should be so remarkably well-integrated.

Bravo, Mercedes-Benz.

WHAT STANDS OUT:

Size: XL

Price: As big as the car

Interior: As nice as they come

ABOUT THE S-CLASS S550:

What? Full re-do of top-end, extra-large, four-door Mercedes-Benz sedan line with generally better mileage, more power, lower prices than previous versions. Redesign includes high-performance A! MG versio! n and Autoliv night-vision option for spotting animals, pedestrians in the dark.

When? V-8 S550 on sale since October; S63 AMG version since November.

Where? Made at Sindelfingen, Germany, (close to Stuttgart) at the company's main R&D/design complex.

How much? S550 starts at $93,825, including $925 shipping. S550 4Matic all-wheel drive, $96,825. Both are $3,005 less than 2013 models. S63 AMG (4Matic is standard), $140,425, down $1,405 from 2013.

What makes it go? S550: 4.7-liter gasoline V-8 with two turbochargers, rated 455 horsepower at 5,250 rpm, 516 pounds-feet of torque at 1,800 rpm. S63: 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 rated 577 hp at 5,500, 664 lbs.-ft. at 2,250. Both use seven-speed automatic.

How big? Similar to long-wheelbase versions of Audi A8, BMW 7 Series. S550 weighs 4,442 to 4,806 lbs. Turning circle diameter, 40 feet.

How thirsty? S550 rear-wheel drive rated 18 miles per gallon in the city, 25 highway, 20 combined. S550 4Matic: 16/26/19.

Test car registered 14.2 mpg (7.04 gallons per 100 miles) in easy-going suburban driving, 22.6 mpg (4.42 gallons/100 miles) on the highway. S63 is rated 15/23/18. Test car registered 12.8 mpg (7.81 gallons per 100 miles) in ordinary suburban driving.

Burns premium; 21.1-gallon tank.

Overall: Extraordinary, from chassis to interior to tech — as it should be for the price.

Plug Power shares fall on wider loss

Shares of fuel-cell maker Plug Power fell Wednesday after the Nasdaq's best performer during the last year reported a wider first-quarter loss.

The stock was down more than 6% at $3.81 in morning trading after the Latham, N.Y.-based firm disclosed its financial results were affected by a charge related to a change in fair value of previously issued common stock warrants of $68.4 million.

Plug Power's net first-quarter loss totaled $75.9 million, or 57 cents a share. That compared with the lower net loss of $8.6 million, or 18 cents a share, the company reported for the same period last year.

The company's adjusted loss of 6 cents per share missed the 5-cent loss forecast of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial Network.

Its first-quarter revenue was $5.6 million compared with $6.4 million a year earlier.

Plug Power said it is targeting more than $70 million in revenue for 2014 and has $174 million in cash on its balance sheet to support business growth.

The company's fuel-cell technology produces electricity from hydrogen in a chemical process that creates no emissions. Plug Power shares have soared higher during the last year as investors bet that the company's energy-generating products would become more widely accepted as an alternative to oil- and gas-powered sources.

Those products include fuel cell-powered forklifts that have been bought by Wal-Mart and other customers.

Plug Power said Wednesday that GenKey, its turnkey fuel cell product, had won orders from Kroger, Wal-Mart, Volkswagen and Central Grocers during the first quarter. The first GenKey site is scheduled to be deployed this month at a Wal-Mart store in Pottsville, Pa., the company said.

"Investments in the sales team, hydrogen generation, hydrogen distribution, geographic expansion and stack technologies are just some of the steps being taken by Plug Power today to build our future," CEO Andy Marsh said in a statement issued with the financial results.

Top Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) ��Scarlett Johansson has responded to criticism over her new ad campaign for an Israeli company that operates in the West Bank, but she's not pulling out of the endorsement deal.

The 29-year-old actress said in a statement released Friday to The Huffington Post that she "never intended on being the face of any social or political movement, distinction, separation or stance" as part of her affiliation with SodaStream International.

The Israeli drink maker recently signed the "Her" and "The Avengers" actress as its first "global brand ambassador." She is to appear in a television ad during the Super Bowl on Feb. 2.

MORE: SodaStream's Bowl spot gets rejected -- again

SodaStream has come under fire from pro-Palestinian activists for maintaining a large factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by the Palestinians.

Top Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Synaptics Inc (SYNA)

Synaptics Incorporated is a developer and supplier of custom-designed human interface solutions that enable people to interact with a range of mobile computing, communications, entertainment, and other electronic devices. The Company focuses on the personal computer ( PC) market, primarily notebook computers, including ultrabooks, the markets for digital lifestyle products, including mobile smartphones and feature phones, the tablet market, and other select electronic device markets with its customized human interface solutions. The Company generally supplies its human interface solutions to its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers through their contract manufacturers, which take delivery of its products and pay the Company directly for them.

The Company provides custom human interface solutions for navigation, cursor control, and multimedia controls for many of the world�� premier PC OEMs. In addition to notebook applications, other PC product applications for its technology include peripherals, such as keyboards, mice, and monitors, as well as remote control devices for desktops, PCs, and digital home applications. Its solutions for the PC market include the TouchPad, the ClickPad, the TouchStyk, and dual pointing solutions. The Company�� tablet includes the ClearPad Series 7. In August 2012, it acquired Pacinian and the Video Display Operation of Integrated Device Technology, Inc.

TouchPad

TouchPad provides a method for screen navigation, cursor movement, and gestures and provides a platform for interactive input for both the consumer and corporate markets. TouchPad solutions offer various advanced features, including Scrolling, Customizable tap zones, performance of entertainment, productivity, and media tasks, tapping and dragging of icons, and device Interaction. The Company�� TouchPad solutions are available in a variety of sizes, electrical interfaces, and thicknesses.

ClickPad

The Company�� ClickPad introduces! a clickable mechanical design to the TouchPad application. Its ClickPad is activated by pressing down on the internal tact switch to perform a left- or right-button click and provides feedback similar to pressing a physical button. The latest version of ClickPad features ClickEQ, which is a mechanical solution.

ForcePad

The Company's ForcePad is a thinner version of the Company's ClickPad, which introduces a new dimension in control through the addition of variable force sensitivity. ForcePad is designed to provide consistent performance across OEM models through its design intelligence and self-calibration features.

Dual Pointing Solutions

The dual pointing solutions offer a TouchPad with a pointing stick in a single notebook computer. Its dual pointing solutions also provide the end user the ability to use both interfaces interchangeably. The Company has developed two solutions for use in the dual pointing market. Its first solution integrates all the electronics for controlling a third-party resistive strain gauge pointing stick onto its TouchPad PCB. Its second dual pointing solution uses its TouchStyk and offers the OEM integration. The second solution is a completely modular design, allowing OEMs to offer TouchPad-only, TouchStyk-only, or dual pointing solutions on a build-to-order basis.

TouchStyk

The Company�� TouchStyk is a pointing stick interface solution for PC notebooks. TouchStyk is an integrated module that uses capacitive technology similar to that of its TouchPad. TouchStyk is enabled with press-to-select and tap-to-click capabilities and can be integrated into multiple computing and communications devices.

NavPoint

The Company�� NavPoint solution offers TouchPad functionality for small form factor devices in accessing and managing content in handheld devices through navigation controls. It also includes short- and long-distance scrolling features, tapping, and mouse-like cursor navigation.

ClearPad

The Company�� ClearPad touchscreen solutions consist of a transparent, thin capacitive sensor, which is a discrete sensor, that can be placed over any display, such as an liquid crystal display (LCD) or organic light-emitting diode (OLED). Its ClearPad Series 3 can provide full-time tracking of ten or more fingers simultaneously and features stylus support and support for various sensor configurations, including discrete sensors, sensor-on-lens, which includes sensor electrodes patterned on the bottom of the glass cover lens; on-cell, which includes sensor electrodes patterned on the display glass, and in-cell, which includes sensor electrodes patterned inside the LCD glass.

The Company�� ClearPad Series 4 products combines its capacitive multi-touch technology with a device�� display driver in a single-chip solution delivering advanced display noise management and capacitive sensing performance. Its ClearPad Series 7 products are designed for large touchscreen market for products more closely related to clamshell notebooks, slates, tablets, and similar devices. The Company�� ClearPad Series 7 products include single-chip touchscreen solutions and multi-chip touchscreen solutions designed for devices, such as gaming applications.

FlexPad

This capacitive sensing interface is mounted beneath a mechanical keypad, and allows the keypad surface to be used for advanced scrolling and navigation features, character entry, and advanced gesture input on handheld devices. With navigation functionality similar to a touch pad, FlexPad offers interface and industrial design differentiation.

ClearButtons

The Company�� ClearButtons product is an extension of its core capacitive sensing technology that has been used in TouchPad solutions for notebook PCs, mobile smartphones, and feature phones. ClearButtons is a sensor that can be mounted under plastic, providing OEMs with integration and design options for scrolling and b! uttons.

TouchButtons

The Company�� TouchButtons product provides capacitive button and scrolling controls for an interface solution designed to replace mechanical buttons. Button arrays and ScrollStrips can be programmed to perform various functions, such as controls for multimedia, display and device settings in notebook PCs, multimedia keyboards, MP3 players, digital photo frames, monitors, and other digital lifestyle products. TouchButton interfaces are designed for integration under the plastic face of a device, allowing for a sealed, durable, and thin design, which can be coupled with light emitting diode (LED) animation.

ThinTouchTM

The Company�� ThinTouch, is a design technology that delivers a full keyboard solution that is 40% thinner than traditional keyboard solutions. ThinTouch provides design architecture that facilitates backlighting.

Proximity Sensing

The Company�� proximity sensing technology enables users to interact with consumer electronics without touch. With this technology, sensors in a device, such as a notebook PC, mobile phone, peripheral, or digital photo frame, sense the presence of a user�� hand to activate a function, such as illuminating LEDs for discoverable buttons or waking devices from power-saving mode.

Dual Mode

The Company�� Dual Mode-enabled TouchPad interface allows a user to switch between cursor control and icon-based control on the TouchPad surface. In default mode, a Dual Mode-enabled TouchPad provides the same cursor control for on-screen navigation as a standard TouchPad. When the user taps on a launch icon located on the TouchPad surface, control icons illuminate on the TouchPad surface.

ChiralMotion Gesture

The Company�� ChiralMotion Gesture technology can be applied for continuous circular motion to initiate precise and fine-tuned scrolling on any two-dimensional input surface, such as its TouchPad and ClearPad solutions. ChiralMoti! on Gestur! e technology is suited for small handheld products, such as feature-rich mobile handsets, personal navigation systems, and personal media players that require easy access for entertainment, music, and other digital files.

Synaptics Gesture Suite

The Company�� Synaptics Gesture Suite (SGSTM) provides users with an intuitive way to interact with their notebook computers. SGS was developed by analyzing the most common workflows from entertainment activities, such as viewing photos and listening to music, to productivity activities, such as accessing e-mails and presentations. SGS represents a portfolio of gestures available on its interface solutions. These gestures are compatible with a range of Microsoft Windows and Linux applications. Gestures in the market include Pinch, Rotate, ChiralMotion Scrolling, Two-Finger Scrolling, Three-Finger Flick, Three-Finger Down, and Four-Finger Flick.

Enhanced Gesture Recognition

Synaptics�� Enhanced Gesture Recognition is a suite of ClearPad gestures included in its firmware. Customers can easily enable SingleTouch gestures, such as Tap, Double Tap, Press, and Flick; DualTouch gestures, such as Pinch and Pivot Rotate, and multi-finger gestures for ClearPad directly from its touch module firmware. No additional ssoftware is required on the host processor to implement these gestures.

Dual Mode for TouchPad

The Company's Dual Mode-enabled TouchPad interface allows a user to switch between cursor control and icon-based controls on the TouchPad surface. In default mode, a Dual Mode-enabled TouchPad provides the same cursor control for on-screen navigation as a standard TouchPad.

The Company competes with Alps Electric, Elan Microelectronics, Atmel, Cypress and Melfas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of Synaptics (NASDAQ: SYNA  ) climbed 11% today after the touch-screen technologist raised its outlook for the current quarter. �

Top Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Logitech international SA (LOGN)

Logitech International S.A. (Logitech) is a holding company. Logitech develops and markets hardware and software products for digital navigation, music and video entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control. Logitech operates in two segments: peripherals and video conferencing. The Company�� peripherals segment includes design, manufacturing and marketing of peripherals for personal computers (PCs) and other digital platforms. Its products for the PC include mice, trackballs, keyboards, interactive gaming controllers, multimedia speakers, headsets, webcams, and lapdesks. Logitech�� Internet communications products include webcams, headsets, video communications services, and digital video security systems for a home or small business. Its digital music products include speakers, earphones, and custom in-ear monitors. On July 6, 2010, Logitech acquired all of the assets of Paradial AS. On March 31, 2011, the Company sold its equity interest in certain 3Dconnexion subsidiaries.

3Dconnexion subsidiaries are the providers of the Company�� 3D controllers, and its intellectual property rights related to the manufacture and sale of certain 3Dconnexion products. Paradial AS provides firewall and network address translation (NAT) traversal solutions for video communications. For home entertainment systems, Logitech offers the Harmony line of advanced remote controls, Squeezebox wireless music solutions and, in the United States, a line of Logitech products for the Google TV platform. For gaming consoles, the Company offers a range of gaming controllers and microphones, as well as other accessories. Logitech�� sells its peripheral products to a network of distributors and resellers and to other equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The Company�� worldwide retail network includes wholesale distributors, consumer electronics retailers, mass merchandisers, specialty electronics stores, computer and telecomm! unications stores, resellers and online merchants.

The Company�� video conferencing segment includes design, manufacturing and marketing of LifeSize video conferencing products, infrastructure and services for the enterprise, public sector and other business markets. LifeSize products include high-definition (HD) video communication endpoints, HD video conferencing systems with integrated monitors, video bridges and other infrastructure software and hardware to support large scale video deployments, and services to support these products. Logitech sells its LifeSize products and services to distributors, resellers, OEMs and direct enterprise customers. Logitech conducts its business through subsidiaries in the Americas, including North and South America; Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), and Asia Pacific, including, among other countries, China, Taiwan, Japan, India and Australia.

Pointing Devices

Logitech offers a range of computer mice, sold through retail and OEM channels. Its mice products include M215, M310 and M305 wireless mice with advanced 2.4 gigahertz wireless connection and cordless universal serial bus (USB) plug-and-forget nano-receiver; Performance Mouse MX and Anywhere Mouse MX with Logitech Darkfield Laser Tracking; Marathon Mouse 750, and Wireless Trackball M570. Logitech�� mice products also include a line of gaming mice, including the Wireless Gaming Mouse G700, with 13 precisely placed, programmable controls to perform single actions and complex macros, full-speed gaming-grade wireless, and a quick-connect charging cable. In addition, the Company sells both corded and cordless mice designed specifically for OEM customers.

Keyboards and Desktops

Logitech offers a range of corded and cordless keyboards and desktops (keyboard-and-mouse combinations). The Company�� keyboards and desktops include Wireless Solar Keyboard K750; K800 Illuminated Wireless Keyboard; The diNovo Edge keyboard; Wireless Desktop MK320, and G! 19 Keyboa! rd for Gaming.

Audio

Logitech designs and manufactures a range of multimedia speakers, including Wireless Speaker Z515, The Laptop Z305 speaker, and The S-series line of portable iPod/MP3 docks, including the Rechargeable Speaker S715i and the Portable Speaker S135i. It also designs and manufactures The Z-623 2.1 THX certified speakers, the Z-506 5.1 Speakers, and the Z-906 5.1 Surround Sound speakers. Logitech offers a portfolio of network music systems. The Squeezebox Touch, with its 4.3-inch color touch screen, connects to existing stereo system and speakers and supports sampling rates of up to 24 bits at 96 kilohertz. The Squeezebox Radio is a compact network music player and alarm that allows to connect to home network, and access Internet radio, personal music collection or subscription services.

The Ultimate Ears product line offers a range of in-ear consumer or fit earphones for portable music enthusiasts, as well as custom stage earphones for musicians and sound engineers. Its line of earphones include Ultimate Ears 100 and 200 value-priced earphones, with silicone ear cushions in a durable sweat-resistant design; Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 with triple armature speakers, and The Ultimate Ears 600 featuring single armature speakers, the Ultimate Ears 600vi, and the Ultimate Ears 700 featuring dual armature speakers. Its line of Ultimate Ears Custom Stage Earphones include Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors co-designed with Capitol Studios for professional studio engineers and producers for use during recording, mixing and mastering original music content, the UE-18 Pro featuring a six-speaker design, the UE-7 Pro for live performance and stage use, and the UE-4 Pro featuring a dual speaker design for artists and audiophiles.

Logitech offers headsets and microphones designed for applications, such as PC voice communications, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) applications and online gaming. Its products in this category include the ClearCha! t PC Wire! less headset, the Wireless Headset H760, the USB Headset H530, the G35 Surround Sound Headset for gaming, the Wireless Gaming Headset G930, the USB Desktop Microphone, and the OCS certified Logitech B-530 USB Headset.

Video

Logitech�� webcam offerings include Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910, Logitech Webcam Pro 9000, Logitech HD Webcam C510 and Logitech TV Cam for use with Logitech Revue. Logitech�� webcams works with video messaging applications, and provides up to HD 720p video calling in Skype, Windows Live Messenger and Logitech Vid HD. The Logitech Alert digital video security system is a complete home or small business video security system, with software that provides motion alerts and a live view from an Internet-connected computer, smartphone, tablet or Google TV system, including Logitech Revue.

Gaming

Logitech offers a range of game controllers for PC gamers, including joysticks, steering wheels, gamepads, mice and keyboards, and headsets, as well as gaming products for console platforms, such as PlayStation2, PlayStation3, PSP (PlayStation Portable), Xbox, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. The Company�� gaming products include Logitech G700 Wireless Gaming Mouse; Logitech G13 advanced gameboard with a built-in LCD screen, 25 programmable keys and onboard memory; Logitech G27 Racing Wheel and Logitech G35 Surround Sound Headset.

Digital Home

The Company�� line of remotes includes Harmony One remote, Harmony 900 remote and Harmony 650. In October 2010, Logitech introduced its line of products for Google TV in the United States, including Logitech Revue and the Logitech Keyboard Controller; Logitech TV Cam and Vid HD service, and Logitech Mini Controller.

LifeSize Video Conferencing

LifeSize division offers HD video communication solutions, including HD video conferencing products, audio conference telephones, hardware infrastructure solutions, video management software, and services to support ! video and! audio communications and help users connect to any network securely and with ease. The LifeSize product line includes Passport, LifeSize Video Center, Express Series, Team Series, Room Series and LifeSize Bridge.

The Company competes with Microsoft Corporation, Plantronics, Inc., Altec Lansing LLC, Creative Labs, Inc., Bose Corporation, Sony Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics NV, Hewlett-Packard, Intec, Razer USA Ltd., Performance Designed Products, LLC (Pelican Accessories), Mad Catz Interactive, Inc., Universal Remote Control, Inc., Universal Electronics Inc., RCA, Apple Inc., Roku, Inc., Cisco, Radvision Ltd., Vidyo, Inc. and Polycom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, LOGN remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $23.25 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 10:11AM EDT July 25, 2013).

  Logansport Financial Corp. previously reported net earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 of $462,000 or $.71 per diluted share, compared to earnings in 2012 of $427,000 or $.54 per diluted share. Year to date the company reported net earnings of $936,000 for 2013 compared to $763,000 for 2012. Diluted earnings per share for the six months ended June 30, 2013 were $1.43 compared to $.97 for the six months ended June 30, 2012. Total assets at June 30, 2013 were $165.8 million compared to total assets at December 31, 2012 of $172.9 million. Total shareholder�� equity at December 31, 2013 was $18.6 million compared to $19.0 million at June 30, 2012

5 Best Regional Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Onyx Service & Solutions Inc (ONYX)

Onyx Service & Solutions, Inc., incorporated on November 25, 2009, focuses on energy solutions. The Company is a solar products manufacturer and supplier. Utilizing Polycrystalline silicon, with 72 cells in series, it provides 240 watt, 245 watt, 250 watt, 255 watt, 260 watt, 265 watt, 270 watt, 275 watt and 280 watt configurations. Its 72 cell panel size is 1955 x 992 x 50 millimeters. It also provides panels, which utilize 54 cells in series for 200 watt, 205 watt, 210 watt and 215 watt configurations. The Company is also a provider of both privately-owned and company-owned automatic teller machines (ATM��), in Onondaga County in upstate New York. The Company receives revenues from the collection of the surcharge revenues and inter-exchange revenues. As of July 31, 2011, it owned three ATMs and manages 19 ATMS throughout upstate New York. On August 22, 2011, the Company acquired Southern Geo Power Corp. (SGPC).

The Company�� 54 cell panel size is 1482 x 992 x 50 millimeters. ONYX/Optimum Solar silicon ingots are provided in both Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline versions. Its ingots are P type with Boron dopant. ONYX/Optimum solar silicon wafers are Polycrystalline solar cell materials. Its wafers are provided in the 156 x 156 millimeter size with a thickness of 220 micrometer/ 220 micrometer +/- 40 micrometer. ONYX/Optimum Solar cells are crystalline materials. It offers two models of solar cells, its Mono five inches (R150) 125S and its Mono five inches (R165) 125SL. Its R150 125S delivers 10 different levels of efficiency and its R165 125SL delivers 11 different levels of efficiency. ONYX Solar Air Conditioning Units offer thermal solar, as well as photovoltaic alternate current (AC) technology solutions. ONYX Solar Street Lights employed for both surface road and elevated highway use, in single or multiple unit setups. Its solar street lights are replenished within the sunlit hours of the day, enabling sustained performance throughout the night.

ONYX Solar Desalin! ization Systems are driven by means of photovoltaic panels, making use of pressure pumps, which force sea water across a membrane filtration system. ONYX/Optimum Solar 300 watt grid-tied micro photovoltaic inverter model OSI-300 is designed for superior installation, functionality and field maintenance. ONYX Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Glass is able to supply power to any given location with access to sunlight. ONYX Solar Well-Water Pump Systems are available in four energy options for use in a range of functions. Its solar well water pump systems were developed for virtual maintenance-free operation, rendering these units as solution for usage throughout isolated regions, including those without an electricity infrastructure readily available. ONYX Solar�� Vertical Vane Wind Turbines thrive on their ability to deliver energy from the smallest of application sites with the most stringent requirements. Each unit is able to deliver six kilowatts of power and may be used in multi-unit configurations. Onyx Solar�� Attic Fans operate within attic room setup, delivering needed aid in overall temperature regulation of the entire home or industrial/commercial building. Each fan supplies a steady exchange rate of 1600 cubic feet per minute.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) is a company doing the acquiring. The company recently completed a $10.4 billion purchase of Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONYX) to add its cancer drug Kyprolis to its already sprawling portfolio. UBS has a $124 price target on the stock. The consensus target is at $123. Investors are paid a 1.7% dividend.

Top Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Fusion-io Inc (FIO)

Fusion-io Inc (Fusion) is a provider of datacenter solutions that accelerate databases, virtualization, cloud computing, big data, and the applications that help drive business from the smallest e-tailers to some of the largest data centers, social media leaders, and Fortune Global 500 businesses. The Company's integrated hardware and software platform enables the decentralization of data from legacy architectures and specialized hardware. The Company sells its solutions through a global direct sales force, original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, including Cisco, Dell, HP, and IBM, and other channel partners. In August 2011, the Company acquired IO Turbine, Inc.,. Effective March 18, 2013, the Company acquired ID7.

Fusion-io's ioMemory hardware is a sub-system connecting a large array of industry-standard NAND Flash memory through the Company's data-path controller and its virtual storage layer, or VSL, software to create a high capacity memory tier that natively attaches to a server's PCI-Express peripheral bus (PCIe).

The Company's portfolio of storage memory products incorporates the Company's ioMemory hardware combined with its virtual storage layer (VSL) and caching software into its family of ioDrive, ioFX, and ioCache enterprise grade products. The Company's ioDrive products work in conjunction with the Company's directCache data-tiering software, ioTurbine virtualization software, ioSphere management system, and ION Data Accelerator software. The Company's latest ioDrive, ioFX, and ioCache product families are a line of PCIe standard form-factor storage memory platforms that combine one or more ioMemory sub-systems with the Company's VSL software.

The Company's directCache software extends the Company's ioMemory based platforms and permits interoperability with traditional direct-attached, network-attached, storage area network attached, and appliance attached backend storage systems. The Company's ioTurbine virtualization software extends the Company! 's ioMemory platform and permits host-based data acceleration to specifically address the demand for high-density, high-performance server, and desktop virtualization.

ioSphere is a suite of management software purpose-built for the Company's storage memory infrastructure and designed around its application acceleration platform. ioSphere software is accessible through a graphical user interface that enables datacenter administrators to centrally configure, monitor, manage, and tune all distributed ioMemory devices throughout the datacenter. In addition, this software offers real-time, predictive, and historical reporting of ioMemory's performance and wear.

The Company's ION Data Accelerator software transforms server platforms into application acceleration appliances that share Fusion ioMemory across applications. ION Data Accelerator delivers Fusion-io performance on open server platforms with software-defined storage, or SDS, for applications such as Oracle RAC, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and SAP HANA, along with other applications where shared storage aids deployment. The Company's original equipment manufacturer�� (OEMs), including Cisco, Dell, HP, and IBM, sell branded storage memory solutions based on the Company's standard products as well as custom form-factor versions to fit specific applications.

The Company competes with EMC Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P, Texas Memory Systems, Oracle, Adaptec, Inc., LSI Corporation, Sandisk, Corp, IBM, CA, Inc, Nagios Enterprises, LLC., Hitachi Data, Huawei Technologies, Co., Intel Corp., LSI Corporation, Marvell Semiconductor, Inc., Micron Technology, Inc., OCZ Technology Group, Inc., Samsung Electronics, Inc., SanDisk, Corp., Seagate Technology, STEC, Inc., Toshiba Corp., and Western Digital Corp.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Fusion-io Inc. (NYSE: FIO) was busy going nowhere until Virident was bought by disc drive giant Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC). Then all eyes on Wall Street started to focus on which company may be the next acquisition target. Many think the odds are good that Fusion-io is that candidate. The consensus price target is posted at $15. The high target on Wall Street is a staggering $29.

• [By Christopher F. Davis]

  Fusion IO (FIO) got absolutely obliterated yesterday (May 8th), down by as much as 27% to touch $13.13, after the company announced a major change in management. On Wall Street, it is common place for unexpected major management shifts to be an event that causes selling immediately, with questions asked later. On Wednesday, the stock closed down 18.9% on volume 15 times the average of 3 million shares that normally trade in a given day.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Fusion-io (NYSE: FIO  ) will release its quarterly report on Wednesday, and investors are nervous about the expected plunge in revenue that they expect to result in the data-storage specialist's year-ago profit turning into a loss. Yet even in the face of much larger competitors EMC (NYSE: EMC  ) and Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC  ) , many still hold out hope that Fusion-io earnings will eventually recover and help the share price gain back some of its long-term losses.

• [By Tim Beyers]

  Fusion-io (NYSE: FIO  ) also rallied more than 20% after crushing revenue and profit targets. More importantly, CFO Dennis Wolf says customers are once more increasing order sizes.

Top Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Makism 3D Corp (MDDD)

Makism 3D Corp., incorporated on May 4 2010, is a three dimensional (3D) printer manufacturing company. The Company produces consumer and professional grade 3D printers. The Company�� flagship product, branded as the Wideboy family of printers, offers packaging designed to fit any office or professional space.

Its 3D printers utilize British and German engineered components. Its printers are assembled in Cambridge (United Kingdom).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap OTC stocks Sovereign Lithium Inc (OTCMKTS: SLCO), Life Stem Genetics Inc (OTCMKTS: LIFS), Nevada Gold Corp (OTCMKTS: NVGC), Guar Global Ltd (OTCMKTS: GGBL) and Makism 3D Corp (OTCMKTS: MDDD) all saw their trading halted late last year by the SEC, but now all of these stocks are trading again. So what's going on and why the sudden crackdown? First, here is a quick look at what happened to the following five small cap stocks:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Well, as it turns out, the snake that bit L&L Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:LLEN) and Sovereign Lithium Inc. (OTCMKTS:SLCO) didn't end up biting Makism 3D Corp. (OTCMKTS:MDDD). And in retrospect, that's probably how it should be. Indeed, the fact that MDDD didn't even come close to suffering the same fate as SLCO or LLEN did may be the biggest assurance Makism 3D fans could hope for that the company is everything it says it is.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  All well and good, but for veteran traders, there's something uneasy about the recent swelling of interest in these names... there's too much hype, and not enough substance. Enter another small cap name in the 3D printing race - Makism 3D Corp. (OTCBB:MDDD). It's not throwing any parties for itself, and it's not congratulating itself for achievements that may be a solution to a problem that doesn't actually exist. MDDD is simply on the verge of making a high-quality 3D printer at a very practical price that will appeal to individual consumers as well as businesses.

Top Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Steel Excel Inc (SXCL)

Steel Excel Inc., formerly ADPT Corp., incorporated in 1981, is primarily focused on capital redeployment and identification of new business operations. The identification of new business operations includes, but is not limited to, the oilfield servicing, sports, training, education, entertainment and lifestyle businesses. The Company operates in two segments: oilfield servicing and sports-related segment. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired two sports-related businesses and one oilfield servicing business. On June 27, 2011, the Company acquired Baseball Heaven LLC and Baseball Cafe, Inc. On August 15, 2011, the Company acquired The Show, LLC. On December 7, 2011, the Company acquired Rogue Pressure Services, LLC. On February 9, 2012, the Company acquired Eagle Well Services, Inc. In May 2012, the Company acquired Sun Well Service, Inc. Effective December 16, 2013, Steel Excel Inc acquired Black Hawk Energy Services Inc, a provider of oil and gas field services.

The Company�� oilfield servicing segment provides services in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Services include snubbing services (controlled installation and removal of all tubulars - drill strings and production strings) in and out of the wellbore with the well under full pressure, flowtesting, and hydraulic work over/simultaneous operations (allows customers to perform multiple tasks on multiple wells on one pad at the same time). The Company�� sports-related services segment provides services related to marketing and providing baseball facility services, including training camps, summer camps, leagues and tournaments, concession and catering events and other events and related Websites. In addition, the Company outfit little league baseball and softball players and coaches in official major league baseball uniforms.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  1. Steel Excel (SXCL)
  2. FormFactor (FORM)
  3. Imation (IMN)
  4. Tuesday Morning (TUES)
  5. Pacific Biosciences (PACB)
  6. Maxygen (MAXY)
  7. Westell (WSTL)
  8. Volt Information Sciences (VISI)
  9. Yasheng Group (YHGG)

Top Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Lenovo Group Ltd (LNVGF.PK)

Lenovo Group Limited is principally engaged in investment holding. It is a personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries. The Company is a personal computer (PC) vendor. The Company develops, manufactures and markets technology products and services. Its product lines include Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. It offers a range of commercial desktops and notebooks to businesses of all sizes that feature cutting-edge technology, customer-centric innovation and productivity features. It operates in three segments: China, Emerging Markets (excluding China) and Mature Markets. Lenovo has research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina, the United States. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Investometrica]

  x86: With regards to the specific x86 server business, it seems that IBM is considering the possibility of fully divesting it. According to Morgan Stanley, the server business generated about $4.9 billion of the company's $15.4 billion in server sales last year. This enormous volume is due to the fact that IBM may be producing the overall market's highest volumes, at the lowest profit level; which suggests this segment is doomed. Finally, IBM has a history of aggressive shifts to areas with better growth prospects and margins. For example, the company agreed to sell off the PC business to Lenovo (LNVGF.PK) at a moment where the PC still seemed attractive.

Top Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Lenovo Group Ltd (LNVGY)

Lenovo Group Limited (Lenovo) is a personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries. The Company is a personal computer (PC) vendor. The Company develops, manufactures and markets technology products and services. Its product lines include Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo operates seven research and development centers and more than 46 world-class labs, including research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina, the United States. The Company is also engaged in investment holding. It operates in three segments: China, emerging markets (excluding China) and mature markets. Lenovo offers a range of commercial desktops to businesses of all sizes.

The Company�� products include laptops, tablets, desktops, workstations and servers. In May 2010, it launched the LePhone smartphone in China. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), China accounted for 46.4% of the Company�� total sales. During fiscal 2011, Emerging Markets (excluding China) accounted for 17.9% of the Company�� total sales. During fiscal 2011, Mature Markets accounted for 35.7% of the Company�� total sales. Its brands include ThinkPad notebook, as well as products carrying the ThinkCentre, ThinkStation, ThinkServer, IdeaCentre and IdeaPad sub-brands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By vinaysingh]

  Apart from the above-mentioned business areas, HP's core competency still lies in PC markets and we are already aware of the smart devices wave that has almost swept the demand for desktops. In spite of battered demand in consumer PC market, HP increased the unit shipments by 6% y-o-y due to improved demand conditions in the commercial PC markets. As a result of a sturdy performance, HP's market share is now just slightly lower than that of Lenovo (LNVGY), the leader in the PC market. A report from Gartner showcases the shares of enterprises that occupy this market.

• [By Analyse360Degree]

  In contrast Samsung had a superb time, reporting a YoY growth of 32.0%, as its shipments increased from 8.5 million to 11.2 million in a years time. However, the most impressive growth was displayed by the fast growing Chinese manufacturer Lenovo (LNVGY). The company reported a stupendous growth of 224.3% in tablet shipments and presently accounts for 4.1% of the global tablet market, up from 1.3% in 1Q13. Lenovo has been taking its devices very seriously and seems to be hell-bent on making a mark on the space, clearly understood from its acquisition of Google (GOOG) owned Motorola.

• [By Tim Brugger]

  Of the five named PC makers included in Gartner's research, only Chinese vendor Lenovo (NASDAQOTH: LNVGY  ) and U.S.-based Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) experienced PC shipment growth in Q1, 7.2% and 0.8% respectively.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Alamy Late last month, Chinese hardware giant Lenovo (LNVGY) was the subject of many headlines -- not all of them complimentary -- when it signed a high-profile deal to buy the Motorola Mobility smartphone unit from Google (GOOG). The Asian firm is ponying up a cool $2.9 billion to acquire the business, which is monstrously unprofitable to the tune of a $645 million operating loss in the first nine months of 2013. The market didn't appreciate this. Disturbed by the idea of gallons of red ink spilling from Motorola Mobility onto Lenovo's results, investors traded down the firm's stock by as much as 14 percent after the deal was made public. This might have been compounded by the firm's previous announcement, made only days earlier, that it was spending $2.3 billion to purchase IBM's (IBM) x86 -- read: lower-end -- line of servers. Was such a sell-off, in reaction to either or both, justified? At Home Abroad Lenovo is one of those companies that likes to expand by acquisition. Few Westerners had ever heard of the IT manufacturer in 2005 when it closed its first big buy -- the personal computing division of IBM, for total consideration of around $1.75 billion. The purchase seemed a counterintuitive move when everyone knew that a future stuffed with wireless Internet and portable computing was just around the corner. But guess what? Lenovo not only sold plenty of notebooks and desktops, it managed to grow into the top PC manufacturer in the world. According to figures from Gartner (IT), in Q4 2013 the company was the clear market leader in terms of PC vendor unit shipments. It moved nearly 15 million PCs during the quarter, a figure 6.6 percent higher than in the same period the previous year. This was particularly impressive considering that total shipments for the industry dropped by almost 7 percent over that time frame. Lenovo was able to do this because, for most of its life, it's made big strides in less affluent markets and is continuing to do so. In