CoStar Shows Market Not Dead For Tech Stock Offerings

It's been a tough year for Internet stocks, but you wouldn't know it looking at a hot stock offering by CoStar Group Inc.(CSGP) late last week.

The Washington, D.C.-based commercial real-estate data provider raised about $529.2 million in a stock offering late Thursday, after fees to its bankers and the sale of some additional shares by underwriters.

The deal adds to recent evidence that investors are getting comfortable with Internet stocks again, following a selloff earlier this spring. It also marks a vote of confidence for CoStar's ability to boost profits and revenue through acquisitions, its stated purpose for doing the deal.

"We're definitely actively out there looking at deals of all shapes and sizes," CoStar Chief Financial Officer Brian Radecki said in an interview Monday. He sees more acquisition candidates marketing themselves for a takeover "than I’ve ever seen in almost 20 years."

CoStar's 132% share-price rally since its acquisition of LoopNet Inc. in 2012 has made investors more interested in helping it build a war chest for purchases, according to two fund managers with large positions in the stock. That purchase expanded CoStar's business running online marketplaces that connect buyers and sellers of property.

By all indications, last week's stock offering saw strong demand. CoStar sold 50% more shares than it had originally planned, at $160 apiece, 0.6% higher than the stock's closing price before the deal's announcement on June 2. Typically stock offerings price at a discount, to lure money managers to snap up a big chunk of shares in a deal.

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The shares rose 4.5% Friday, in part driven by investors who couldn't get as many shares as they wanted in the deal, according to a person familiar with the matter. Monday, shares were up nearly another 1%.

"More than 50% of buyers in the deal were new investors," rather than existing holders adding to positions, Mr. Radecki said. "There was a significant demand from new investors that were trying to get into the story."

The high level of demand also suggests money managers are tiptoeing back into high-growth tech stocks. Many of these shares have stabilized since the violent pullback the sector saw in March and April (which, by the way, burned buyers in a spate of big tech stock sales that took place at the start of this year).

CoStar wasn't spared the carnage, falling 30% from its March 4 record close to its 2014 closing low on May 20. But since bottoming out, the shares have seen less volatility.

J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM) & Co. led the stock offering with Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(GS), Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup Inc.(C)

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Own For 2015

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Own For 2015: NMI Holdings Inc (NMIHZ)

NMI Holdings, Inc. (NMIH), incorporated on May 19, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company through its subsidiaries provides private mortgage insurance in the United States. The Companys wholly owned subsidiaries include National Mortgage Insurance Corporation and National Mortgage Reinsurance Inc One.

On April 24, 2012, NMI Holdings, Inc. (NMI) closed an agreement with MAC Financial Ltd. to acquire MAC Financial Holdings Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. On September 30, 2013, the Company merged MAC Financial Holding Corporation into NMIH, with NMIH surviving the merger, and it merged NMRI Two into NMIC, with NMIC surviving the merger.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zachary Tracer]

  NMI Holdings Inc. (NMIHZ), a mortgage insurer backed by funds tied to Carlyle Group LP (CG) and Kyle Bass, filed to sell shares in an initial public offering as investors bet on a housing-market rebound.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-10-regional-bank-stocks-to-own-for-2015-2.html

What is impact investing and which wealth demographic cares?

Advisers who plan to be in business 10 years from now or intend to seek assets from younger investors need to become familiar with the universe of impact investing.

Unlike socially responsible investing's focus on screening out certain types of companies such polluters, impact investing proactively backs a project or firm engaged in an effort important to the investor. An investment could include a bond offering for an alternative energy supplier, for example.

Impact investing, which typically involves private equity or private debt investments, is a hit with young investors, according to a report published Monday by ImpactAssets.

Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, seek assimilation between their values and how they spend or invest their money, said Lindsay Norcott, strategic initiatives officer at ImpactAssets.

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“These are the people who today are looking for purpose in their careers,” Ms. Norcott said. “Once they are the asset owners, financial advisers are going to be the ones helping them find purpose in their investments.”

(Don't miss: Adopting ESG factors to improve returns, reduce risk)

A survey of high-net-worth Millennials found 45% want to use their wealth to help others and consider social responsibility a factor when investing, the ImpactAssets report said, quoting a May 2013 Spectrem Group study.

David Sand, chief investment strategist for Community Capital Management, said Morgan Stanley, UBS and Merrill Lynch each have set up impact investing platforms to be a resource when advisers' clients ask about it.

“This kind of institutional support has never happened before,” Mr. Sand said.

Firms are providing advisers these resources because clients are increasingly asking advisers for help. Now it's time for advisers to learn more about impact investing so they can have answers and even bring it up in the conversation with clients, he said.

Ms. Norcott said just like advisers know their clients' birthdays and the sports their kids play, they should be asking them what matters to them and what their intentions are for their assets.

“It's the conversation that goes beyond financial return,” she said.

ImpactAssets, which offers a donor-advised fund, also publishes an annual list of 50 investment managers who specialize in impact investing. The list isn't ranked, but all those chosen must have at last $5 million under management and have been around for three or more years, Ms. Norcott said.

R! 20;A lot of folks read a lot about impact investing but don't realize how much there is out there and that there are fund managers with a track record,” she said.

Norman Boone, founder and president of Mosaic Financial Partners, said he’s helped a couple clients make impact investments, including one who backed a clean water project in Africa. Most people interested in this have inherited wealth and they may feel guilty about having it or they are so wealthy they don’t need a high rate of return. He doesn’t have many Millennial clients, he said.

“Usually with impact investing you aren’t going to get market returns,” he said. “Part of the bargain is you’re giving up some of the typical returns, but they understand there is a social contribution to the investment.”

Mr. Boone said he does expect interest in impact investing to grow.

“It’s still a relatively new concept for investors,” he said.

The ImpactAssets report quotes one of the nation’s wealthiest young couples, Liesel Pritzker Simmons and Ian Simmons, as wanting to choose investments that align with their values.

“It was critical for us in choosing advisers that they understood the social and environmental impacts we were aiming for and would work collaboratively with us to build a portfolio of impact investments,” they said.

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In a report released earlier this month, Barclays took a look at the January Effect–that is, the outperformance by the years worst performers–and found it to be more than a myth.

REUTERS

Barclays’ Eric Slover and Barry Knapp explain:

We find the anomaly in which smaller cap, prior year underperformers and value outperform in January has persisted, but profiting from this strategy is impaired by liquidity and transaction costs. Nevertheless, a market cap constrained portfolio backtest, supplemented with a value factor, has provided average excess returns of 240bps over the last ten years.

Yes, we all hate back tests, but that’s how we look at what’s worked in the past, even if there’s no guarantee it will work in the future.

Knapp and Slover were also kind enough to provide a screen of stocks that could outperform. They started with the Russell 2000, removed the smallest 40% based on market cap (the aforementioned liquidity issues), then selected the 5% worst performers from among the 30% cheapest stocks based on book-to-price. The result is a bunch of names you never heard of, including Infinity Pharmaceuticals (INFI), Fusion-IO (FIO), Walter Energy (WLT), Hecla Mining (HL) and Molycorp�(MCP).

Top Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT)

Hersha Hospitality Trust, a real estate investment trust, engages in the ownership and operation of mid scale limited service hotels in the Eastern United States. As of June 30, 2005, it owned interests in 35 hotels, including 4 hotels owned through joint ventures in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Georgia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, Hersha would not be subject to income tax to the extent it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  American Hotel Income Properties' competitors include Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT), RLJ Lodging Trust (RLJ), and Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT).

Best Cheapest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Semtech Corporation(SMTC)

Semtech Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, produces, and markets analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products. The company?s product lines include protection products comprising filter and termination devices that provide protection for electronic systems from voltage spikes; power management products consisting of switching voltage regulators, combination switching and linear regulators, smart regulators, and charge pumps; and discrete semiconductor products, such as rectifiers, assemblies, and other products. It also offers wired communication, ultra-high speed Serializer/Deserializer, and modulator driver products that perform timing, synchronization, and amplification functions in high-speed networks; chips and transceivers for short reach, metro, and long haul applications; and high performance transceivers for datacenter applications. In addition, the company provides wireless and sensing products that perform radio frequency functions in indust rial, medical, and networking applications; and sensing functions in industrial and consumer applications. It serves original equipment manufacturers and their subcontractors in the computing, communications, consumer, and industrial end-markets directly, and through independent distributors and sales representative firms in North America, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. Semtech Corporation was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Camarillo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Semtech Corp.'s(SMTC) fiscal third-quarter profit slid 25% as the chip manufacturer posted a double-digit drop in revenue and slightly weaker gross margins.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Semtech (Nasdaq: SMTC  ) .

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Semtech (NASDAQ: SMTC) were down 11.763 percent to $24.77 on lowered forecast. Raymond James downgraded the stock from Strong Buy to Outperform.

Best Cheapest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Pharmerica Corporation(PMC)

Pharmerica Corporation operates as an institutional pharmacy services company in the United States. It offers services to healthcare facilities and provides management pharmacy services to hospitals. The company purchases, repackages, and dispenses prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals in accordance with physician orders and delivers such medication to healthcare facilities for administration to individual patients and residents. It also provides consultant pharmacist services for customers to comply with the federal and state regulations applicable to nursing homes; and medical records services. In addition, the company offers various ancillary services, such as infusion therapy products and services; and hospital pharmacy management services, including hospital pharmacy operations, regulatory and financial management services, and clinical pharmacy programs to various hospitals. PharMerica Corporation operates approximately 95 institutional pharmacies in 44 s tates and provides pharmacy management services to 91 hospitals. Its customers primarily include institutional healthcare providers, such as skilled nursing facilities, nursing centers, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and other long-term alternative care settings. The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of PharMerica (NYSE: PMC  ) , a pharmacy services company, jumped as much as 11% after reporting better-than-expected first-quarter results.

• [By Josh Arnold]

  PharMerica Corporation (PMC) is a pharmacy services company that operates in several segments in the US. The company offers services to healthcare facilities, pharmacy management services and specialty infusion to patients outside of hospitals. PMC's primary customers are assisted living centers, hospitals, and other long term care facilities. The company services just under 200 locations in 45 states in the US and produces about $1.7 billion in annual revenue. With shares near the bottom of their 52 week range following a nasty selloff, is there any value in PMC or is it a classic trap? I'll argue here that PMC's structural tailwinds for earnings including demographics and consumer preference shifts will increase PMC's ability to convert revenue into profit and drive the stock higher.

Best Cheapest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Sovran Self Storage Inc.(SSS)

Sovran Self Storage, Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). It engages in the acquisition, ownership, and management of self-storage properties in the United States. The company?s self-storage properties offer storage space to residential and commercial users, as well as offer outside storage for automobiles, recreational vehicles, and boats. As of February 15, 2007, it owned and managed 328 properties, consisting of approximately 20.3 million net rentable square feet in 22 states. Sovran Self Storage has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to income tax to the extent it distributes at least 90% of taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Williamsville, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Self-storage REIT�Sovran Self Storage (NYSE: SSS  ) announced today its second-quarter dividend of $0.53 per share, a 10% increase from the payout it made to investors last quarter of $0.48 per share.

Best Cheapest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc (SHOS)

Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. (SHO), incorporated on April 23, 2012, is a retailer primarily focused on selling home appliances, hardware, tools and lawn and garden equipment. As of April 28, 2012, the Company and its dealers and franchisees operated 1,238 stores across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, Guam and Bermuda. The Company also provides its customers with a range of services, including home delivery and installation and product protection agreements. SHO operates in two segments: the Sears Hometown and Hardware segment and the Sears Outlet segment.

Sears Hometown

Sears Hometown and Hardware segment�� stores are designed to provide its customers with in-store and online access to a range selection of brands of home appliances, tools, lawn and garden equipment, sporting goods, consumer electronics and household goods, depending on the particular store. Its Sears Outlet stores are designed to provide its customers with in-store and online access to purchase new, one-of-a-kind, out-of-carton, discontinued, obsolete, used, reconditioned, overstocked and scratched and dented products, collectively, outlet-value products, including home appliances, lawn and garden equipment, apparel, mattresses, televisions, sporting goods and tools.

As of April 28, 2012, the Sears Hometown and Hardware segment consisted of 944 Sears Hometown Stores, 96 Sears Hardware Stores and 76 Sears Home Appliance Showrooms. The 944 Sears Hometown Stores are primarily independently owned stores, predominantly located in smaller communities and offering appliances, consumer electronics, lawn and garden equipment, and hardware. Hometown Stores carry y Sears brand products, such as Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard, as well as other brands. 96 Sears Hardware Stores are hardware stores that carry Craftsman brand tools and lawn and garden equipment, DieHard brand batteries and other national brands and other home improvement products. 93 of these locations also offer a selection of Kenm! ore and other national brands of home appliances.

Sears Hometown and Hardware business operates through three formats: Sears Hometown Stores (Hometown Stores), Sears Hardware Stores (Hardware Stores), and Sears Home Appliance Showrooms (Home Appliance Showrooms). Hometown Stores offer products and services across a range of merchandise categories, including home appliances, consumer electronics, lawn and garden equipment, sporting goods, tools and household goods. Most of its Hometown Stores carry Sears brand products, such as Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard, as well as other national brands. Its Hardware Stores offer products and services across a range of merchandise categories and sales are primarily driven by tools, lawn and garden equipment, home appliances, and other home improvement products. In addition, these stores offer blade sharpening, key cutting and screen repair, as well as products typically found in local hardware stores, such as fasteners, electrical supplies and plumbing supplies. These stores carry Craftsman brand tools and lawn and garden equipment, DieHard brand batteries and a range of national brands and other home improvement products. Its Home Appliance Showrooms offer home appliances and related services in stores primarily located in strip malls and lifestyle centers of metropolitan areas. Home Appliance Showroom sales are primarily driven by big-ticket cooking, laundry and refrigeration home appliances, as well as, in certain stores, mattresses. These stores carry Kenmore and other national brands of home appliances. As of April 28, 2012, out of 76 Home Appliance Showrooms in 19 states, 44 of these stores are owned and operated by franchisees, 30 stores are owned and operated by the Company and two are owned and operated by independent dealers.

Sears Outlet

As of April 28, 2012, the Sears Outlet segment consisted of 122 Sears Outlet Stores. The Company�� Sears Outlet stores provide in-store and online access to purchase outlet-value ! products ! across a range of merchandise categories, including home appliances, consumer electronics, lawn and garden equipment, apparel, sporting goods, tools, and household goods.

The Company competes with Sears Holdings, The Home Depot, Best Buy, Lowe�� and Tractor Supply, Ace Hardware, True Value, HH Gregg and US Appliances.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Friday, the stock market posted another sizable gain, sending several major market benchmarks to new all-time record levels. In the absence of any downright bad news, investors have been willing to bid most stocks higher, and enthusiasm about the direction of the U.S. economy appears to be bolstering the bullish argument in favor of further investment in stocks. Yet, a few stocks nevertheless fell today, and Hertz Global Holdings (NYSE: HTZ  ) , Diamond Foods (NASDAQ: DMND  ) , and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores (NASDAQ: SHOS  ) were among the weakest performers in the stock market on Friday.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Better options�
  In short, I prefer both Sears Hometown and Outlets (NASDAQ: SHOS  ) and Sears Canada (TSX: SCC  ) for their stronger operating prospects, especially those of the former. Sears Hometown has a long growth runway for its appliance stores, and its ongoing conversion to franchise-owned stores makes for better gross margins, as well as shifts many up-front costs to the individual store owner. Sears Canada is in the midst of a major renovation -- pumping money into stores while shrinking employee count. Sears Canada trades at a fraction of one-year sales and will benefit from even a modest turnaround in store performance.�

• [By gurujx]

  SEARS HOMETOWN (SHOS) Reached the 3-year Low of $28.84

  The prices of SEARS HOMETOWN (SHOS) shares have declined to close to the 3-year low of $28.84, which is 51.3% off the 3-year high of $57.44.

• [By James Brumley]

  Two years later, the company spun off its Hometown and Outlet stores by issuing shares of Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores (SHOS) to SHLD stock owners … charging them for the right to receive what they technically already owned.

Best Cheapest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Staples Inc.(SPLS)

Staples, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an office products company. The company offers various office supplies and services, office machines and related products, computers and related products, and office furniture under Staples, Quill, and other proprietary brands. It also provides copy and print services to retail and delivery customers, as well as technology services through its EasyTech business. The company sells and delivers office products and services directly to businesses and consumers through Internet retail, including Staples.com and Quill.com, as well as through contract sales force, direct mail catalog business, and retail stores. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 2,295 retail stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia in the United States; and 10 provinces and 2 territories in Canada, as well as in Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, and Australia. The company also operated 124 distribution and fulfillment centers in 29 states in the United States; 7 provinces in Canada; and in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, China, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia. Staples, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Mydlo] 11.10 on 6/12/2014, near its 52-week low of $10.86. It pioneered the office products superstore in 1986 and currently serves businesses of all sizes and consumers in North America, Europe, Australia, South America, and Asia. The company�� stock has been in decline since the Great Recession, and it does not help that earnings declined by over 40 percent in the last quarter. Staples debt level is low, so they have the financial ability to hang around until they can figure out how to improve their earnings. The stock is held by 19 of the gurus we follow.

  Market Cap: 7.18 billion, P/E: 13.00

  Business Predictability: 1/5, Financial Strength: 8/10, Profitability & Growth: 6/10

  Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) closed at $60.33 on 6/12/2014, near its 52-week low of $60.15. The company is a retailer that operates under the names of Bed Bath & Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops andThat!, Harmon Face Values, buybuy BABY, and World Market. It sells a wide assortment of domestics merchandise and home furnishings. The stock is down 25 percent year-to-date, but has been holding support at about $60 per share. Earnings were slightly down by 5 percent in the latest quarter. The United States faced a negative GDP in the first quarter and Bed Bath & Beyond still had positive growth in same store sales. I think the stock can turn around. The GuruFocus DCF calculator shows a fair value of $87.07 with a margin of safety of 31 percent. The stock is currently held by 16 of the gurus we follow.

  Market Cap: 12.32 billion, P/E: 12.90

  Business Predictability: 4/5, Financial Strength: 9/10, Profitability & Growth: 8/10

  Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) closed at $32.94 on 6/12/2014, near its 52-week low of $32.70. The company is a recent spin-off from Penn National Gaming. It now owns the properties of Penn National and is collecting lease payments. The now independent company is looking to acquire more gaming real estate and

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Finally, Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS  ) shares were off 1.6% today after its own earnings report failed to impress. The nation's leading office-supplies retailer warned of negative trends in demand for core office supplies, which shouldn't be surprising given the secular shift to digital communication. Management intends to focus on other categories, but that seems like a questionable strategy given its strength in office products. Earnings per share of $0.42 matched expectations, but revenue fell 3.8% to $6.11 billion, below the consensus at $6.18 billion. Given the fading relevance of office retail and the consistent emptiness of these stores, I'd avoid this sector.

10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014

Dominant online music streaming service�Pandora� (NYSE: P  ) recently announced a new "Pandora Premieres" station, which promises to allow users to listen to new albums before they go on sale. That includes both paying subscribers and ad-supported (free) users.

The move could be a possible defensive play at differentiating Pandora's service, seeing as how�Google� (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) just launched its own Play Music All Access streaming service. Furthermore,�Apple� (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) is also expected to jump in with some type of "iRadio" service once it gets the licensing deals worked out with record labels.

In the video below, Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, talks about how much danger Pandora is in.

Five enter, one leaves
It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

10 Best Recreation Stocks For 2015: Freescale Semiconductor Inc (FSL)

Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. provides embedded processing solutions for automotive, networking, industrial, and consumer markets worldwide. The company�s embedded processor products comprise microcontrollers, such as ultra low power, low end 8-bit, and 32-bit products with on-board flash memory, which provide the digital logic or intelligence for electronic applications; single-and multi-core microprocessors; and applications processors with embedded memory, and special purpose hardware and software for multimedia applications. It also offers wireless connectivity products for low power wireless communications functionality; communications processors that perform tasks related to control and management of digital data, and network interfaces; and radio frequency (RF) devices, which consist of power transistors, amplifiers, receivers, and tuners for amplifying RF signals. In addition, the company provides analog, mixed-signal, and power management integrated circuits (ICs ) that include switches, power management devices, battery and motor control devices, CAN/LIN network transceivers, and signal conditioners that perform audio processing, backlight management/control, power management, and charging functions; sensors comprising pressure, inertial, magnetic, and proximity sensors, which act as an interface between an embedded system and external environment; and cellular products consisting of baseband processors, power management ICs, and RF subsystems. It sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, original design manufacturers, and contract manufacturers through its direct sales force and distributors. The company was formerly known as Freescale Semiconductor Holdings I, Ltd. and changed its name to Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. in April 2012. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. is a subsidiary of Freescale Holdings L.P.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Freescale (NYSE: FSL  ) have skyrocketed today by upwards of 12% after the semiconductor specialist posted first-quarter earnings results.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The real key for TI will be whether its analog chips can gain greater application. General Electric's Industrial Internet project continues to move forward, and connecting networks of machines in order to improve communication and gather data should require plenty of sensor-chips of the type in which TI specializes. Moreover, Cisco Systems and its Internet of Things initiative also have promise both for TI and for Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL  ) , which came out with a new microcontroller chip earlier this year that could potentially work together with TI-made Wi-Fi transmitted chips to facilitate communication. Freescale is tiny compared to TI, but a partnership there could help both companies make more from the opportunity than they could separately.

10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Solta Medical Inc(SLTM)

Solta Medical, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of energy-based medical device systems for aesthetic applications primarily in North America, the Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. It offers Fraxel re:pair system for use in dermatological procedures requiring ablation, coagulation, and resurfacing of soft tissue, as well as for rhytides, pigmentation, dyschromia, fine lines, acne, surgical scars, deeper lines, wrinkles, and actinic keratoses; and Clear + Brilliant system for patients who want to take control of their aging process. The company also provides Thermage CPT system that provides non-invasive treatment options for skin tightening; Liposonix system to destroy unwanted fat cells resulting in waist circumference reduction; Isolaz system for the treatment of inflammatory acne, comedonal acne, and mild to moderate inflammatory acne; and the CLARO device, a consumer handheld device for the tre atment of mild-to-moderate inflammatory acne, including pustular acne. Its customers principally include dermatologists, plastic surgeons, general and family practitioners, gynecologists, and ophthalmologists. The company sells its products primarily through a direct sales force, as well as through independent distributors; and CLARO device through retail and associated retailer?s Websites, and television retail networks, as well as through its own website in the United States. The company was formerly known as Thermage, Inc. and changed its name to Solta Medical, Inc. in January 2009. Solta Medical, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Hayward, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Solta Medical Inc.(SLTM) unveiled restructuring plans to improve its financial performance and has hired an adviser to help evaluate strategic alternatives, including a possible sale or merger of the medical aesthetics device maker. Investors cheered the news, sending shares up 7.7% to $1.97 premarket.

• [By John Udovich]

  Large cap serial acquirer�Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (NYSE: VRX) is teaming up with activist investor�Bill Ackman to pursue large cap Botox maker Allergan, Inc (NYSE: AGN), but stocks like Cutera, Inc (NASDAQ: CUTR), Cynosure, Inc (NASDAQ: CYNO), PhotoMedex Inc (NASDAQ: PHMD) and Syneron Medical Ltd (NASDAQ: ELOS)�actually offer investors more exposure to the growing anti aging and aesthetics market (Note: See my recent article: These Small Caps Seek to Treat Your Crow�� Feet and Double Chin (RVNC & KYTH)). To begin with, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has a wide focus on neurology, dermatology and infectious diseases�but acquiring the maker of Botox won�� be its first foray into the aesthetic market�because earlier this year, the company completed its acquisition of Solta Medical Inc (NASDAQ: SLTM) -�a designer, developer, manufacturer and marketer of�energy-based medical device systems for aesthetic applications.�And while�Allergan, Inc may be most well known for Botox, its actually a pretty big�company focused on a diverse range of areas, including ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, dermatology, neuroscience, urology and cosmetics���meaning the following stocks offer investors better exposure to the aesthetics market:

• [By Tess Stynes]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Sprint Corp.(S), American International Group Inc.(AIG)�and Solta Medical Inc.(SLTM)

• [By John Udovich]

  On Tuesday, small cap biotech stock Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: KYTH) surged around 25% after announcing that its ATX-101 REFINE-1 and REFINE-2 Phase III trials met all primary and secondary endpoints for the reduction of so-called double chins; but if investors missed out on that rally, small caps Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc (NASDAQ: ZLTQ), Solta Medical Inc (NASDAQ: SLTM) and Cynosure, Inc (NASDAQ: CYNO) each have a piece of the aesthetic market as well. In the case of Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, its ATX-101 can be injected to deal with double chins���meaning its less invasive than liposuction as the drug dissolves fat cells but leaves other tissue alone. JP Morgan has noted:

10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Perion Network Ltd (PERI)

Perion Network Ltd, incorporated in November 1999, is a digital media company. The Company's products include: IncrediMail, a communication client; Smilebox, a photo sharing and social expression product and service; and Sweet IM, an instant messaging application. The Company generates revenues primarily through search, the sale of products and services, and advertising. Its product is available in seven languages in addition to English. On November 30, 2012, the Company acquired SweetIM (a.k.a. SweetPacks).

Communication vertical

IncrediMail is its communication client, available over the Internet it its basic version free of charge, used for managing email messages and Facebook feeds, with many graphic and personalizing capabilities. However, most important is that it is safe, simple and easy to use. The premium version of this software offers, for an annual subscription fee, VIP support and enhanced graphic capabilities, as well as advanced anti-spam software for a separate annual subscription. SweetIM is free downloadable and easy to use software that enables users to enhance their messaging experience and express themselves in creative ways across online platforms, such as messenger and email.

Digital photo vertical

Smilebox is an Internet photo sharing service available for the desktop and smart-phone. On the desktop, Smilebox can be used both on the PC and the Mac, making it easy to create digital creations from personal photos using a range of digital designs including Invitations, Greetings, Collages, Scrapbooks, Photo Albums and slideshows. These creations can then be shared free of charge via email, Facebook, Twitter, Print, digital versatile disk (DVD) or photo frames. Smilebox is also available free of charge for the iPhone, making it easy to personalize and share photos in real time, directly from the device. Personalization options include captions, stickers and frames, and sharing options include email, Facebook and short message ser! vice (SMS).

The Company competes with America Online, Inc., QUALCOMM Incorporated , Mozilla Corporation and Microsoft Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Igor Novgorodtsev]

  On the morning of 09/16, Perion (PERI) announced a long-rumored deal: an all stock "merger" with a much larger but private Conduit division Conduit Connect. The details of the deal are quite simple. Perion will issue 57 to 60 million additional shares, which would give current shareholders a 19% stake in the new company, Conduit and its shareholders will get the remaining 81%. The deal, expected to close in January 2014, is expected to be immediately accretive, assuming Conduit will continue to do as well as before the merger.

10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Amazon.com Inc (AMZ)

Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon.com), incorporated on May 28, 1996, serves consumers through its retail websites and focus on selection, price, and convenience. The Company offers programs that enables sellers to sell their products on its Websites and their own branded Websites and to fulfill orders through them , and programs that allow authors, musicians, filmmakers, application developers, and others to publish and sell content. The Company operates in two segments: North America and International. The Company serves consumers through its retail websites, and focus on selection, price, and convenience. The Company designs its Websites to enable millions of products to be sold by the Company and by third parties across dozens of product categories. Customers access its Websites directly and through its mobile Websites and apps. It also manufactures and sells Kindle devices. In May 2012, the Company acquired Kiva Systems, Inc. (Kiva). In October 2013, Amazon.com Inc acquired TenMarks Education Inc. Effective February 5, 2014, Amazon.com Inc acquired Double Helix Games LLC. Effective May 6, 2014, the Company acquired Iconology Inc.

The Company offers its customers the lowest prices possible through low everyday product pricing and shipping offers, including through membership in Amazon Prime, and to improve its operating efficiencies so that it can continue to lower prices for its customers. The Company also provides easy-to-use functionality, fast and reliable fulfillment, and timely customer service. It offers programs that enable sellers to sell their products on its websites and their own branded websites and to fulfill orders through them.

The Company serves developers and enterprises of all sizes through Amazon Web Services (AWS), which provides access to technology infrastructure that enables virtually any type of business. The Company serves serve authors and independent publishers with Kindle Direct Publishing. It also offers programs that allow authors, musicians, filmmak! ers, app developers, and others to publish and sell content.

North America

North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products and subscriptions through North America-focused websites such as www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca and include amounts earned from AWS. This segment includes export sales from www.amazon.com and www.amazon.ca.

International

The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products and subscriptions through internationally-focused websites. This segment includes export sales from these internationally based websites , including export sales from these sites to customers in the U.S. and Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  For an asset class once known for stable dividends backed by recurring revenues from long term contracts, MLPs have turned into investment divas ��strong performers with lots of volatility. The Alerian MLP Index (AMZ) outperformed the S&P 500 in 2009, 2010, and 2011 ��and despite the huge move in the broad market last year, came close to matching the S&P 500 in 2013 (27.59% vs. 32.38%). The MLP index is still ahead of the S&P 500 year to date after rebounding from a massive sell-off in October. Still, AMZ is below levels of the late summer and early fall.

10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Lindsay Corp (LNN)

Lindsay Corporation incorporated on January 7, 1974, is a provider of range of water management and road infrastructure products and services. The Company operates in two segments: Irrigation and Infrastructure. The Company�� irrigation segment includes the manufacture and marketing of center pivot, lateral move, and hose reel irrigation systems, which are used principally in the agricultural industry. The irrigation segment also manufactures and markets repair and replacement parts for its irrigation systems and controls, and designs, manufactures and services water pumping stations and controls for the agriculture, golf, landscape and municipal markets. The Company�� infrastructure segment includes the manufacture and marketing of moveable barriers, specialty barriers, crash cushions and end terminals, road marking and road safety equipment, large diameter steel tubing, railroad signals and structures, and outsourced manufacturing services. The Company�� principal infrastructure manufacturing facilities are located in Rio Vista, California, Milan, Italy, and Omaha, Nebraska. In August 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Claude Laval Corp.

Irrigation Segment

The Company manufactures and markets its center pivot and lateral move irrigation systems in the United States and internationally under its Zimmatic brand. The Company also manufactures and markets separate lines of center pivot and lateral move irrigation equipment for use on smaller fields under its Greenfield and hose reel travelers under the Perrot and Greenfield brands in Europe and South Africa. The Company also produces or markets irrigation controls, chemical injection systems and remote monitoring and control systems, which it sells under its GrowSmart brand. In addition to whole systems, the Company manufactures and markets repair and replacement parts for its irrigation systems and controls. The Company also designs, manufactures and services water pumping stations and! controls for the agriculture, golf, landscape and municipal markets.

The Company�� irrigation systems are primarily of the standard sized center pivot type, with a small portion of its products consisting of the lateral move type. Both are automatic, continuous move systems consisting of sprinklers mounted on a water carrying pipeline, which is supported approximately 11 feet off the ground by a truss system suspended between moving towers. The Company also manufactures and distributes mini-pivots and hose reel travelers. The Company also markets pivot monitoring and control systems, which include remote telemetry and a Web or personal computer-hosted data acquisition and monitoring application. These systems allow growers to monitor their pivot system, accumulate data on the operation of the system, and control the pivot from a remote location by logging onto an Internet Website. The pivot monitoring and control systems are marketed under the GrowSmart brand and product name FieldNET.

In the United States, the Company sells its irrigation systems, including Zimmatic, to over 200 independent dealer locations, who resell to their customer, the farmer. Dealers assess their customer�� requirements, assemble and erect the system in the field, and provide additional system components, primarily relating to water supply (wells, pumps, pipes) and electrical supply (on-site generation or hook-up to power lines). Lindsay dealers generally are local agribusinesses, many of which also deal in related products, such as well drilling and water pump equipment, farm implements, grain handling and storage systems, and farm structures. The Company has production and sales operations in France, Brazil and China, as well as distribution and sales operations in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and sales operations in Central America and the Middle East serving the European, South American, Chinese, African, Australian, New Zealand, Central American and Middle Eastern markets, respect! ively.

Infrastructure Segment

The Company�� Quickchange Moveable Barrier (QMB) system consists of three parts: T-shaped concrete barriers that are connected to form a continuous wall; a Barrier Transfer Machine (BTM), capable of moving the barrier laterally across the pavement, and the variable length barriers necessary for accommodating curves. The BTM employs an inverted S-shaped conveyor mechanism that lifts the barrier, moving it laterally before setting it back on the roadway surface. The QMB system is useful in busy commuter corridors and at choke points, such as bridges and tunnels. QMB systems can also be deployed at roadway or roadside construction. The Company offers a range of equipment lease options for QMB systems and BTM equipment used in construction applications.

The Company offers a line of redirective and non-redirective crash cushions, which are at locations, such as toll booths, freeway off-ramps, medians and roadside barrier ends, bridge supports, utility poles and other fixed roadway hazards. The Company�� primary crash cushion products cover a range of lengths, widths, speed capacities and application accessories and include brand names, such as TAU, Universal TAU-II, TAU-B_NR, ABSORB 350 and Walt. In addition to these products the Company also offers guardrail end terminal products such as the X-Tension and TESI systems. The Company also offers specialty barrier products, such as the SAB, ArmorGuard, PaveGuard and DR46 portable barrier and/or barrier gate systems. The gates are generally used to create openings in barrier walls of various types for both construction and incident management purposes. The DR46 is an energy absorbing barrier to shield motorcyclists from impacting guardrail posts.

The Company offers preformed tape and a line of road safety accessory products. The preformed tape is used primarily in temporary applications, such as markings for work zones, street crossings, and road center lines or boundaries. The road s! afety equ! ipment consists of plastic and rubber products used for delineation, slowing traffic, and signaling. The Company also manages a testing laboratory, Safe Technologies, Inc., that performs testing of safety products. The Company�� Diversified Manufacturing and Tubing business unit (Diversified Manufacturing) manufactures and markets large diameter steel tubing and railroad signals and structures, and provides outsourced manufacturing and production services for other companies. The Company�� customer base includes certain industrial companies and railroads. The Company�� primary infrastructure market includes moveable concrete barriers, delineation systems, guardrails and similar protective equipment. The United States roadway infrastructure market includes projects, such as new roadway construction, bridges, tunnels, maintenance and resurfacing, and the purchase of rights-of-way for roadway expansion and development of technologies for relief of roadway congestion.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(func]

  Lindsay Corp.(LNN) said fiscal second-quarter revenue and earnings fell as the company’s irrigation business remains mired in a sales slump. The company’s results underperformed Wall Street expectations.

• [By Mike the PhD]

  Historically the stock prices of Deere (DE) and other agricultural equipment firms and retailers like Case-New Holland (CNH), Titan Machinery (TITN), AGCO (AGCO), Tractor Supply (TSCO), Valmont (VAL), and Lindsay (LNN) have tended to closely track the price of corn. When corn prices go up, farmers tend to make more money, and they spend that money on new equipment from Deere and other firms. This relationship is especially strong for Deere and Corn, but it holds true for all of the stocks above to some extent. (Correlation coefficients between all of the stock prices above and corn are statistically significant to at least the 5% level, see my blog here for more details.)

10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Watsco Inc.(WSO)

Watsco, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration equipment in the United States. It distributes residential central air conditioners; gas, electric, and oil furnaces; commercial air conditioning and heating equipment and systems; and other specialized equipments. The company also distributes various parts, including replacement compressors, evaporator coils, motors, and other component parts; and supplies comprising thermostats, insulation material, refrigerants, ductwork, grills, registers, sheet metal, tools, copper tubing, concrete pads, tape, adhesives, and other ancillary supplies. It serves approximately 50,000 contractors and dealers that service the replacement and new construction markets. The company also exports its products to Latin America and the Caribbean. Watsco, Inc. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  HVAC parts and components distributor Watsco (WSO) announced a 60% dividend increase to 40 cents per share, payable Oct. 31 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 10.
  WSO Dividend Yield: 1.7%

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Watsco Inc (WSO), a distributor of air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration equipment, announced early on Wednesday that it is raising its quarterly dividend payout by 60%.

  The company will now pay a quarterly dividend of 40 cents per share, up from the previous payout of 25 cents per share. This dividend will be paid on October 31 to shareholders of record on October 15, with an ex-dividend date of October 10.

  Albert H. Nahmad, Watsco’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer stated, “Our philosophy of sharing cash flow through dividends continues. As we have stated many times in the past, our goal over the long-term is to pay increasing dividends while maintaining a conservative balance sheet with capacity to make investments in our business and build our network. We will consider future increases in light of such investment opportunities, cash flow, general economic conditions and our overall financial condition.��/p>

  Watsco shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Wednesday. The stock is up 25.49% year-to-date.

• [By Greg Williamson]

  A successful HVAC distribution company with great growth potential
  An excellent way to profit from these tailwinds is by investing in Watsco (NYSE: WSO  ) (NYSE: WSO  ) (NYSE: WSO  ) . Watsco is a leading distributor of HVAC equipment, with more than 570 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Watsco also exports products to Latin America and the Caribbean.

10 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Whiting USA Trust I(WHX)

Whiting USA Trust I is a REIT. The trust was founded in 2007 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another name that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Whiting USA Trust I (WHX). This stock hasn't done much so far in 2013, with shares up just 4.5%.

  If you look at the chart for Whiting USA Trust I, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $3.65 to its intraday high of $4.87 a share. During that move, shares of WHX have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now spiked shares of WHX back above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. Shares of WHX are now quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in WHX if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.90 to $5.04 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 321,220 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then WHX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6.23 to $8.01 a share.

  Traders can look to buy WHX off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $4.12 a share. One can also buy WHX off strength once it takes out that breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Top Beverage Companies For 2014

Pepsi (PEP) stock has provided shareholders with a nice gain of about 22% so far this year. That PEP stock return is far better than the return for rival Coca Cola (KO), which has only gained around 8%.

But Pepsi stock hasn’t always been stellar. The compound average return for the past three years was less than 11%, while the S&P 500 clocked an annual return north of 16%. Plus, PEP stock has been looking a bit weaker in recent trading.

Will the good times continue with PEP? To see, let�� take a look at the pros and cons:

Pros for PEP

Global Powerhouse. Besides its namesake brand, Pepsi also has other top-notch beverages like Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, 7UP and Lipton. Balancing this is a broad portfolio of PEP products in the snack category –�products that benefit from something called ��oincidence of purchase.��This means that that when someone buys a Pepsi beverage, there�� a good chance he or she will buy some chips or other snacks as well. The result is increased velocity at store shelves for PEP.�What�� more, Pepsi�� enormous platform provides it with economies of scale.

10 Best Promising Stocks To Invest In 2015: Celsius Holdings Inc (CELH)

Celsius Holdings, Inc., incorporated on April 26, 2005, is engaged in the development, marketing, sale and distribution of functional calorie-burning beverages under the Celsius brand name. The Company focuses to combine nutritional science with mainstream beverages by using its thermogenic (calorie-burning) MetaPlus formulation. The Company does not directly manufacture its beverages, but instead outsource the manufacturing process to established third-party co-packers. The Company provides its co-packers with flavors, ingredient blends, cans and other raw materials for its beverages purchased by the Company from various suppliers. Celsius, Inc. and Elite FX, Inc. are the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company.

The Company�� Celsius is a calorie-burning beverage. Celsius is available in seven flavors, lemon-lime, ginger ale, cola, orange and wild berry (which are carbonated) and non-carbonated green tea raspberry/acai and green tea/peach mango. Its beverages are sold in 12 ounce cans, although it has begun to market the ingredients in powdered form in individual On-The-Go packets. The Company�� customer�� include on-the-go women, age 25 to 54, who are looking for a way to burn calories and gain energy with beverages and natural alternatives to diet sodas, as well as sports enthusiasts of both sexes, who are seeking low sodium, preservative-free alternatives. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company developed its MetaPlus formulation into a powder that can be mixed with water.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, PepsiCo, Inc., Nestl茅, Waters North America, Inc., Hansen Natural Corp., and Red Bull.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Monster Beverage Corp (NASDAQ: MNST), a mid cap marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages, has been a monster of a performer since the end of the financial crisis as the stock is up around 308% over the past five years, but could new or overlooked players like small cap beverage stocks�Jones Soda Co (OTCMKTS: JSDA), Celsius Holdings, Inc (OTCMKTS: CELH) and Konared Corp (OTCBB: KRED) repeat that performance? A look strictly at the long term performance of all three small caps might have you thinking otherwise. After all, none of these small cap beverage stocks are profitable while�the beverage industry can be a long hard expensive slog just to increase market share by one or two points when you are competing for shelf space with industry giants like Pepsi and Coke. But past performance is just that���the past and only part of the story as there is much more to consider about these small cap beverage stocks which could also make them potential acquisition targets by larger beverage players seeking to expand their product line up with innovative products:

Top Beverage Companies For 2014: Molson Coors Brewing Company(TAP)

Molson Coors Brewing Company brews, markets, sells, and distributes beer brands. It sells its products in Canada, under the Coors Light, Molson, Rickard's Red, Carling, Pilsner, Keystone Light, Creemore Springs, and Granville Island brands. The company also brews or distributes products under license from third parties, which include Heineken, Amstel Light, Murphy's, Asahi, Asahi Select, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Chill, Milwaukee's Best, Milwaukee's Best Dry, and Foster's. In addition, it imports, distributes, and markets the Corona, Coronita, Negra Modelo, and Pacifico brands, through a joint venture agreement with Grupo Modelo. Further, the company sells various brands in the United States, which include Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet, Miller Genuine Draft, MGD 64, Miller Chill, Sparks, Miller High Life, Miller High Life Light, Keystone Light, Icehouse, Mickey's, Milwaukee's Best, Milwaukee's Best Light, Old English 800, Blue Moon, Henry Weinhard 's, George Killian's Irish Red, Leinenkugel's, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch, Coors Non-Alcoholic, and Sharp's. Additionally, it sells various brands in the United Kingdom comprising Carling, C2, Coors Light, Worthington's, White Shield, Caffrey's, Kasteel Cru, and Blue Moon, as well as various regional ale brands. The company also sells the Grolsch brands through a joint venture with Royal Grolsch N.V. and the Cobra brands through a joint venture called Cobra Beer Partnership Ltd.; and distributes brands sold under license, including Corona, Coronita, Negra Modelo, Pacfico, Singha, and Magners Draught Cider. In addition, it markets and sells Zima, Si'hai, Coors Gold, and Coors Extra brands to various international markets. The company was formerly known as Adolph Coors Company and changed its name to Molson Coors Brewing Company as a result of its merger with Molson Inc. in February 2005. Molson Coors Brewing Company was founded in 1873 and is headquartere d in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  The bar is open and the dividends are continuing to flow at Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) . The brewer has declared the latest common stock payout for both its Class A and B shareholders. This is $0.32 per share, to be handed out on September 16 to shareholders of record as of August 30. That amount is in line with each of the company's preceding quarterly distributions stretching back to September 2011.

• [By Rex Moore]

  The Brewers Association today released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S. (based on 2012 sales volume), and the top of the rankings holds little surprise. Led by its Budweiser and Bud Light brands, Anheuser-Busch (Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) ) is No.1. MillerCoors (Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) ), Pabst Brewing, D.G. Yuengling, and Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM  ) round out the top five. (The complete lists are below this video.)

Top Beverage Companies For 2014: Alkaline Water Company Inc (WTER)

The Alkaline Water Company Inc., formerly Global Lines Inc, incorporated on June 6, 2011, is a developer of electrolysis beverage process, packaged and branded as Alkaline84. Alkaline84 is the Company's flagship product designed to encourage daily consumption of Alkaline Water through a consumer oriented bulk delivery system. The Company is engaged in the development of a national retail bulk distribution network delivering Electrochemically Activated Water (ECA) to consumers everywhere. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing the retail sale of its packaged Alkaline84 branded beverage products.

Alkaline84 is available in two sizes: three liters and one gallon. Alkaline84 is a pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with 84 trace minerals and electrolytes. Alkaline84 is available for consumer sales at a number of major retail locations across the southwestern United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP), consider your dominance in the bottled water arena - via Aquafina - under a serious attack. And for The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), well, your Dasani brand's #2 position in the market share race isn't as secure as you'd like it to be either. There's a new name in town you need to watch out for - Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTCBB:WTER). This young company is hungry... well, thirsty, and with its impressive product already making a big splash in the few markets its been introduced to, WTER is not only positioned to make a dent in the bottled water revenue being generated by the likes of KO and PEP, this little company may be serving up some solid gains for its investors as well.

Top Beverage Companies For 2014: Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc (DPS)

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (DPS), incorporated on October 24, 2007, is an integrated brand owner, manufacturer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a diverse portfolio of flavored (non-cola) carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and non-carbonated beverages (NCBs), including ready-to-drink teas, juices, juice drinks and mixers. The Company operates in three segments: Beverage Concentrates, Packaged Beverages and Latin America Beverages. The Company primarily serves two groups of customers: bottlers and distributors and retailers. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 20 manufacturing facilities across the United States and Mexico, excluding its manufacturing facility for its joint venture with Acqua Minerale San Benedetto. Effective March 1, 2013, it acquired Dr. Pepper/7-UP Bottling Co of the West, a producer and wholesaler of bottled soft drinks.

Beverage Concentrates

The Company�� Beverage Concentrates segment is principally a brand ownership business. In this segment the Company manufactures and sells beverage concentrates in the United States and Canada. Most of the brands in this segment are CSD brands. Its brand portfolio includes CSD brands, such as Dr Pepper, Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Squirt, Penafiel and Schweppes. Beverage concentrates are shipped to third party bottlers, as well as to its own manufacturing systems, who combine them with carbonation, water, sweeteners and other ingredients, package it in PET containers, glass bottles and aluminum cans, and sell it as a finished beverage to retailers. Beverage concentrates are also manufactured into syrup, which is shipped to fountain customers, such as fast food restaurants, who mix the syrup with water and carbonation to create a finished beverage at the point of sale to consumers. Its Beverage Concentrates brands are sold by its bottlers, including its own Packaged Beverages segment, through all retail channels, including supermarkets, fountains, mas! s merchandisers, club stores, vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, small groceries, drug chains and dollar stores.

Packaged Beverages

The Company�� Packaged Beverages segment is principally a brand ownership, manufacturing and distribution business. In this segment, it primarily manufacture and distribute packaged beverages and other products, including its brands, third party owned brands and certain private label beverages, in the United States and Canada. Key NCB brands in this segment include Hawaiian Punch, Snapple, Mott's, Yoo-Hoo, Clamato, Deja Blue, AriZona, FIJI, Mistic, Nantucket Nectars, ReaLemon, Mr and Mrs T, Rose's and Country Time. Key CSD brands in this segment include 7UP, Dr Pepper, A&W, Sunkist soda, Canada Dry, Squirt, RC Cola, Big Red, Sun Drop, Diet Rite, IBC and Vernors. Approximately 87% of its 2011 Packaged Beverages net sales of branded products come from its own brands, with the remaining from the distribution of third party brands, such as Big Red, AriZona tea, FIJI mineral water, Neuro beverages, Vita Coco coconut water and Hydrive energy drinks. A portion of its sales also comes from bottling beverages and other products for private label owners or others, which is also referred to as contract manufacturing. Its Packaged Beverages��products are manufactured in multiple facilities across the United States and are sold or distributed to retailers and their warehouses by itsown distribution network or by third party distributors. The Company sells its Packaged Beverages��products both through its Direct Store Delivery system (DSD), supported by a fleet of approximately 6,000 vehicles and 12,000 employees, including sales representatives, merchandisers, drivers and warehouse workers, as well as through its Warehouse Direct delivery system (WD), both of which include the sales to retail channels, including supermarkets, fountain channel, mass merchandisers, club stores, vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, small groce! ries, dru! g chains and dollar stores.

Latin America Beverages

The Company�� Latin America Beverages segment is a brand ownership, manufacturing and distribution business. This segment participates mainly in the carbonated mineral water, flavored CSD, bottled water and vegetable juice categories, with particular strength in carbonated mineral water, vegetable juice categories and grapefruit flavored CSDs. Its brands include Squirt, Penafiel, Aguafiel, Crush and Clamato.

In Mexico, it manufactures and distributes its products through its bottling operations and third party bottlers and distributors. In the Caribbean, it distributes its products through third party bottlers and distributors. In Mexico, it also participate in a joint venture to manufacture Aguafiel brand water with Acqua Minerale San Benedetto. The Company sells its finished beverages through Mexican retail channels, including mom and pop stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and on premise channels.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola), PepsiCo, Inc. (PepsiCo), Nestle, S.A. (Nestle), Kraft Foods Inc. (Kraft) and The Cott Corporation (Cott).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of PepsiCo have gained 1.6% to $81.89, while Coca-Cola (KO), which released earnings yesterday, has risen 0.6% to $37.88 and Dr. Pepper Snapple (DPS) has advanced 2.1% to $44.68.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  We think there are several things to consider with regard to what this deal means for [SodaStream]. 1. This deal validates the home carbonation category, and when�[Coca-Cola] +�[Green Mountain Coffee Roasters] start to advertise and market the cold platform, we think that could be good for�[SodaStream] (especially as we believe [SodaStream] will be a considerably lower-priced system than the [Green Mountain Coffee Roasters] cold drink platform). 2. We hope�[SodaStream] hurries up and signs an agreement with [PepsiCo (PEP) (or Dr. Pepper Snapple (DPS), or crazier yet, Nestle/Nespresso) so that they too can offer premium/popular branded flavors to make with their machine. 3. We think the cost to compete likely goes up, and we suspect�[SodaStream's] marketing expenses will rise. 4. We are glad that�[SodaStream] has another 12+ month head start to figure out how to leverage its first-mover advantage in the category. 5. We think folks should remember that ~2/3 of�[SodaStream's] profits come from Europe, where�[SodaStream's] sales have grown 20%+ in each of the last two years, and where�[Green Mountain Coffee Roasters] barely plays. Of course�[Coca-Cola] can help hasten�[Green Mountain Coffee Roasters'] entry into Europe, but in all practical terms, Europe should still be a good business for�[SodaStream] for years to come.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: KO is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) with a 3.2% yield, Pepsico Inc (PEP) with a 2.6% yield and Fomento Economico ADR (FMX) with a 1.7% yield.

Top Beverage Companies For 2014: Frontier Beverage Company Inc (FBEC)

Frontier Beverage Company, Inc., incorporated on November 18, 2002, is in the business of development, marketing and distribution of New Age/Alternative Beverages and snack products. New Age/Alternative Beverages is an industry categorization for a group of products that include energy drinks/infused water, fruit juices and drinks, dairy and dairy substitutes, and bottled/canned teas. In October 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired holding company 22 Social Club Productions Inc. and its subsidiaries Blue 22 Entertainment.

The Company markets, sells and maintain inventories of Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc. known as UnWind Ultimate Relaxation (UnWind) in Citrus Orange, Goji Grape and Pom Berry flavors in cases of twelve, 12-ounce slim cans. In addition to 12-ounce cans of UnWind, the Company also developed and test marketed a product line known as Bulldozer, which was a concentrated version of the canned UnWind beverage packaged in three-ounce containers. The Company's point-of-sale line includes posters, statics, info cards, suction racks and suction stickers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Frontier Beverage Company Inc (OTCMKTS: FBEC), IMD Companies Inc (OTCMKTS: ICBU) and Dmh International Incorporated (OTCBB: DMHI) were all mimicking the Titanic last Friday by sinking 41.18%, 32.5% and 28.16%, respectively, last Friday. Moreover, all three of these stocks have been the subject of paid promotions or investor relation campaigns. With the promotions in mind, is it to late to dump these small cap stocks or will this week present a buying opportunity? Here is a closer look:

  Frontier Beverage Company Inc (OTCMKTS: FBEC) Announces Changes and Proposed Plans

  Small cap Frontier Beverage Company is a diversified holding company with the following subsidiaries: 22 Social Club Productions, Blue 22 Entertainment and App Quest LLC. On Friday, Frontier Beverage Company sank 41.18% to $0.005 for a market cap of $93,905 plus FBEC is down 77.5% since last March and down 99.2% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Beeston Enterprises Ltd (OTCMKTS: BESE) and HD Retail Solutions Inc (OTCMKTS: HDRE) surged 33.33% and 11.54%, respectively, on Black Friday while Frontier Beverage Company Inc (OTCMKTS: FBEC) sank 18.18%. And while Black Friday might be the most important shopping day of the year for retailers, its probably not a day that sees a lot of action from investors and traders still digesting their Thanksgiving meals (or busy looking for deals at their favorite retailers). So what direction will these three small cap stocks do for investors and traders this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide:

Top Beverage Companies For 2014: Attitude Drinks Inc (ATTD)

Attitude Drinks Incorporated (Attitude), incorporated on May 10, 1988, is a brand-development company. The Company focuses on the non-alcoholic single serving beverage business, developing and marketing of milk based products in two segments: sports recovery and functional dairy. The Company does not directly manufacture its products but instead outsources the manufacturing process to third party packers.

Attitude has developed its second product, which is branded as Phase III Recovery is a milk-based protein drink which is available in chocolate and vanilla flavors. The Company�� co-packer for its dairy based product is O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc. in Batavia, New York. This product contains 35 grams of protein that are inherent in filtered milk. The product is packaged as a retort-processed shelf stable dairy-based 100% milk-based sports recovery drink in both chocolate and vanilla flavors.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company and Pepsico Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Attitude Drinks Inc (OTCMKTS: ATTD), Axiologix, Inc (OTCMKTS: AXLX) and Unisource Corporation (OTCMKTS: USRC) have all been getting some attention lately in investment emails or investor alerts thanks in part to paid promotions. And while there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed paid promotions or investor relations activity, such activity can backfire on unwary investors or traders. With that in mind, here is a closer look at all three small cap stocks to help you decide whether they are truly hot or not:

Top Beverage Companies For 2014: Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd (STBFY)

Suntory Beverage & Food Limited is principally engaged in the manufacture and sale of beverages and food. The Company operates in two geographical segments. The Domestic segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of various soft drinks within Japan, such as coffee drinks, mineral water, green tea drinks, tea drinks, carbonated drinks, fruit juice drinks, functional beverages, milk beverages, and food for specified health use, as well as syrup for general and business usage. The International segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of carbonated drinks, fruit juice drinks, health food, seasoning, tea-based beverages and others, with operations in Europe, Oceania, Asia and the Americas. As of May 29, 2013, the Company had 80 subsidiaries and 10 associated companies. On October 15, 2013, the Company acquired Lucozade Ribena Suntory Limited. On December 12, 2013, the Company acquired Suntory Beverage & Food Europe Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Whiskey has become increasingly cool and popular thanks to the whole cocktail movement, something that�� good for big whiskey stocks like Suntory Beverage & Food Limited (OTCMKTS: STBFY), Diageo plc (NYSE: DEO) and Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE: BF.B) who�also produce a wide variety of�liquors and beverages. In fact,�a recent episode of the�Daily Ticker�cited these stats from a USA Today article:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  Let�� start with Suntory Beverage & Food Limited (STBFY),which recently completed its acquisition of�Beam Inc., formerly the purest play on bourbon. Beam was the owner of the eponymous Jim Beam brand, as well as the higher-end Maker�� Mark and Knob Creek and the lower-end Old Crow.�Suntory is Japan�� leading spirits company, though most Americans will be unfamiliar with its Japanese whisky brands, such as Yamazaki and Hakushu. (Note for booze snobs: Japanese whisky��ike Scotch and Canadian whisky��s correctly spelled ��hisky.��American bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and Irish whiskey are correctly spelled ��hiskey.��

5 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy For 2014

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks seesawed in choppy action at the start of trading on Monday, with the Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) up 0.1% at 21,663.93. Financial shares rose, after the People's Bank of China issued its quarterly monetary-policy report over the weekend and said the central bank would guarantee "adequate" liquidity for 2014. China Galaxy Securities Co. (HK:6881) advanced 1.8%, China Everbright Ltd. (HK:165) added 1%, and Guotai Junan International Holdings Ltd. (HK:1788) gained 0.3%. Market heavyweight China Mobile Ltd. (HK:941) (CHL) dropped 0.1% after Soci茅t茅 G茅n茅rale cut the telecom giant's ratings to neutral. Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd. (HK:1929) (CJEWF) , China's largest jewelry retailer, climbed 4.1% after the company recorded a 34% jump in sales from mainland China during the Lunar New Year holidays. Shares in smaller rivals Chow Sang Sang Holdings International Ltd. (HK:116) and Luk Fook Holdings International Ltd. (HK:590) also pushed higher, rising 4% and 1.3%, respectively. On the Chinese mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) climbed 1%.

Top Gas Companies To Invest In Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP)

CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation.

Wireless DataCom

The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world.

The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personnel or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Utilities! , oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities.

MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enterprises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces.

The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo.

Satellite

The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold primarily to ! EchoStar,! an affiliate of Dish Network.

The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture.

The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP) issued a downbeat outlook for the fourth quarter. CalAmp shares dipped 8.35% to $25.26 in the after-hours trading session.

  Anworth Mortgage Asset (NYSE: ANH) announced an additional 5 million share repurchase program. Anworth Mortgage shares rose 0.97% to $4.18 in after-hours trading.

5 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy For 2014: Rostelekom OAO (ROSYY)

Rostelecom is a telecommunications services provider and carrier of domestic long distance (DLD) and international long distance (ILD) traffic in the Russian Federation. The Company owns and operates a trunk telecommunications network and carries the bulk of Russia's long-distance and international traffic. The Company renders domestic and international long-distance telecommunications services to end users and provides traffic throughput services to Russian operators, including each of Russia's seven inter-regional companies (IRCs) and alternative operators. In addition, the Company provides telecommunications services to various government entities across Russia and ensures the operation of the ground-based network of television and radio broadcasting channels. In December 2008, through Westelcom, its wholly owned subsidiary, Rostelecom acquired an additional 15.2% interest in CJSC Incom (Incom). Subsequently Incom became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. In December 2008, it sold 10.87% interest in CJSC Expo-Telecom.

In February 2008, the Company sold its 10.97% interest in Golden Telecom. In March 2008, the Company sold its 10.30% interest in OJSC AVIANET. In July 2008, Rostelecom acquired a 68.42% interest in OJSC RTComm.RU (RTComm.RU). In September 2008, the Company sold its 15% interest in CJSC Transportation Digital Networks.

The Company has entered into service contracts with the IRCs and other operators of local and intra-regional networks to act as its regional agents. In this capacity, the Company�� agents bill end users, prepare, print and deliver invoices and collect payments from end users and perform customer service functions. Its trunk network, which transmits a Russia's domestic and international long-distance traffic, comprises approximately 150,000 kilometers of digital and analog lines.

The Company�� primary network consists of trunk cables linked to the IRCs networks and to its international exchanges for connections with for! eign operators, as well as a satellite communications network. As of December 31, 2008, the Company�� digital network comprised 49,987 kilometers, including 35,291 kilometers of fiber optic lines (FOLs) and 14,696 kilometers of digital radio-relay lines.

As of December 31, 2008, the Company owned 13 international exchanges, which allow for ILD traffic management, including four in Moscow, two in St. Petersburg (Lyuban) and one each in Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Kaliningrad and Murmansk. The combined capacity of these switches was 235,500 channels. In addition, the Company had 15 transit and six multi-transit domestic long-distance exchanges interconnected to its telecommunications network for traffic transit that provide access to DLD services to local users. The domestic long-distance exchanges and their connecting digital channels constitute an integrated services digital network (ISDN) with channel switches, to which the networks of IRCs and alternative operators are connected. The trunk exchanges of Moscow and Pavlov Posad route domestic long-distance traffic between switching centers, as well as directly to and from end users.

As of December 31, 2008, the Company�� domestic long-distance trunk network consisted of 675,300 digital and 900 analog channels. Rostelecom provides domestic and international ISDN services through 76 trunk exchanges. The Company has an open network of multimedia communications. Connected to this network are subscriber units in 76 Russian regions and 13 retail outlets.

Rostelecom�� main satellite communications network is operated by 16 nodal land-based stations located in Russia. The Company also operates a second satellite communications network, Reserv, which comprises one central and one periphery land-based station. To enable its operation, it leases channels from OJSC Gazcom, which operates earth satellite vehicle Yamal-200. The Company rents domestic and international fixed satellite chan! nels from! FSUE Space Communications, CJSC SatComLine, CJSC SvyazContactInform, OJSC YamalTelecom and CJSC Zond Holding, which are Russian satellite telecommunications companies that operate satellites in the FSUE Space Communications and Intelsat systems.

The Company competes with TransTelecom, Synterra, FSUE Space Communications, TeliaSonera and Golden Telecom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Halia Pavliva]

  The Bloomberg Russia-US gauge slipped 0.4 percent to 104.16, paring its advance this month to 7.7 percent. CTC Media Inc. (CTCM), the Nasdaq-listed Russian television company, rallied 2.6 percent to $12.86, the highest level since April 25. The stock has climbed 22 percent this month, making it the best performer on the Bloomberg-Russia gauge. VimpelCom is the second-biggest gainer on the index this month, followed by OAO Rostelecom (ROSYY), which has increased 17 percent after two months of declines.

5 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy For 2014: KDDI Corp (KDDIF)

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

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks opened sharply higher Monday, with the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) advancing 1.1% to 14,242.86 after falling 2.8% Friday, as end-of-the-week gains for U.S. shares and some earnings news helped lift the market. The Topix also saw solid gains, up 0.8% in early moves. Major advances included a 2.5% rise for Hitachi Ltd. (JP:6501) (HTHIF) , a 4.1% surge for Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (JP:7211) (MMTOF) , and a 2.6% improvement for KDDI Corp. (JP:9433) (KDDIF) after the Nikkei business daily said the telecom will report a 50% increase for operating profit in the fiscal first half compared to a year earlier. Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) added 2% after scoring a Credit Suisse upgrade to outperform. Shares of NTT DoCoMo Inc. (JP:9437) (NTDMF) traded 1.1% higher after posting above-forecast quarterly results Friday, while JFE Holdings Inc. (JP:5411) (JFEEF) fell 3.2% after the steel producer also reported earnings.

5 Best Telecom Stocks To Buy For 2014: Vivendi SA (VIVHY)

Vivendi SA (Vivendi), incorporated on December 18, 1987, is a communications and entertainment company. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had six business segments: Activision Blizzard, Universal Music Group, SFR, Maroc Telecom Group, GVT (Holding) S.A. (GVT) and Canal+ Group. Activision Blizzard develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software, online or on other media (such as console and personal computer (PC)). Universal Music Group is engaged in the sale of recorded music (physical and digital media), exploitation of music publishing rights, as well as artist services and merchandising. SFR is engaged in the phone services (mobile, broadband Internet and fixed) in France. Maroc Telecom Group is a telecommunication operator (mobile, fixed and Internet) in Africa, principally in Morocco, as well as in Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Mali. GVT is a Brazilian fixed and broadband operator. Canal+ Group is engaged in publishing and distribution of pay-television mainly in France, in both analog and digital (terrestrially, via satellite or ADSL), as well as film production in Europe. In July 2013, Vivendi SA and Universal Music Group announced the completion of the sale of Parlophone Label Group to Warner Music Group Corp.

On November 13, 2009, Vivendi acquired an aggregate of 29.9% of GVT�� outstanding voting shares from Swarth Investments LLC, Swarth Investments Holdings LLC and Global Village Telecom (Holland) BV. In addition, Vivendi acquired from third parties an additional 8% interest in GVT's outstanding shares. On December 28, 2009, Canal+ Group, Vivendi�� subsidiary, acquired TF1�� 9.9% interest in the capital of Canal+ France. On July 31, 2009, Maroc Telecom acquired 51% controlling interest in Sotelma. On August 27, 2009, CID, a company 40% owned by SFR and 60% by other financial investors, acquired the 62% interest in 5 sur 5.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI  ) is striking out on its own. The company reached a purchase agreement with Vivendi (NASDAQOTH: VIVHY  ) �to transfer enough shares so that it will become an independent company, one that's majority-owned by public investors rather than a single corporation.

Best Sliver Companies To Buy Right Now

Best Sliver Companies To Buy Right Now: Market Vectors Short Municipal Index ETF (SMB)

Market Vectors Short Municipal Index ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible the price and yield performance of the Barclays Capital AMT-Free Short Continuous Municipal Index (the Index). The Index provides broad exposure to investment-grade municipal bonds with a nominal maturity of 1 to 6 years. To be included in the Index, bonds must be rated investment-grade (Baa3/BBB- or higher) by at least two ratings agencies: Moody's, S&P, Fitch. If only two of the three agencies rate the security, the lower rating is used to determine index eligibility. If only one of the three agencies rates a security, the rating must be investment grade. They must have an outstanding par value of at least $7 million and be issued as part of a transaction of at least $75 million. The bonds must be fixed rate, have a dated-date within the last five years, and must be at least 1 year but less than 6 years from their maturity date. Its investment advisor is Van Eck Associates Corpor ation. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Rosenbluth]

  Two others are iShares Short-Term National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF (SUB) and Market Vectors Short Municipal Index ETF (SMB).

  The Market Vectors fund, not surprisingly, has more A bond exposure and less AA exposure than the iShares fund. However, both have lower average durations than iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond and thus might appeal to investors concerned about the impact of higher rates.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-sliver-companies-to-buy-right-now.html