Best Energy Stocks To Own Right Now

Best Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: Parker Drilling Co (PAD)

Parker Drilling Company (Parker), incorporated on August 4, 1970, is a provider of contract drilling and drilling-related services. The Company operates in six segments: Rental Tools, U.S. Barge Drilling, U.S. Drilling, International Drilling, Technical Services and Construction Contract. During year ended December 31, 2012, the Company operated in 12 countries. The Company has operated in over 50 foreign countries and the United States. In April 2013, the Company announced the acquisition of International Tubular Services Limited and certain affiliates (ITS), subsidiaries of ITS Tubular Services (Holdings) Limited.

Rental Tools Business

The Company provide premium rental tools for land and offshore oil and natural gas drilling and provide equipment used for drilling, workover and production applications, such as drill pipe, heavy-weight drill pipe, tubing, high-torque connections, blow-out preventers (BOPs) and drill collars. The Company also hol d an inventory of rental tools and provide service to its customers from locations in Louisiana, Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota and West Virginia.

U.S. Barge Drilling Business

The Companys U.S. Gulf of Mexico barge rig fleet is marketed barge fleet in the GOM region, with rigs ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 horsepower with drilling depth capabilities ranging from 13,000 to over 30,000 feet. The Companys rigs drill for oil, natural gas, and a combination of oil and natural gas in the shallow waters in and along the inland waterways and coasts of Louisiana, Alabama and Texas.

U.S. Drilling Business

The Companys U.S. Drilling segment primarily consists of two new-design Arctic Alaska Drilling Unit (AADU) land rigs. In addition to the two AADU rigs, the Company has one land rig at its facility in New Iberia, Louisiana.

International Drilling Business

The Companys international drilling busine! ss includes operations related to Parker-owned and operated ri! gs as well as customer-owned rigs. In addition, it perform drilling-related activities for operators who own their drilling rigs and who choose to utilize its drilling experience and technical expertise to perform services on a contracted basis, including Operations and Maintenance (O&M) work, and other project management services (such as labor, maintenance, and logistics).

Technical Services Business

The Companys technical services business primarily includes its engagement in concept development, pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design), Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) projects. During the EPCI phase, it focuses primarily on the drilling systems engineering, procurement, commissioning and installation and provide customer support during construction. As of December 31, 2012, it provides these services on the Berkut platform project for Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL).

Construction Contract Business

The Companys construction contract segment includes only the BP-owned Liberty extended-reach drilling rig construction project. Under the consulting services agreement, it assisted BP in a review of the rigs design, the creation of a new statement of requirements for the rig, and the transition of documentation and materials to BP.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Oberweis]

  Among our latest small-cap recommendations is a medical device company focused on developing minimally invasive treatment solutions for vascular disease, including peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD), explains Jim Oberweis, Editor of The Oberweis Report.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-energy-stocks-to-own-right-now-2.html

Top Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014

Traditional brick and mortar retailers seem to face more intense online competition every year. Given the challenging consumer spending environment��articularly during the highly promotional holiday shopping period��013 was an especially tough year for many.

The weak holiday sales have resulted in numerous downgrades of retail stocks. Among them was PetSmart (PETM), the leading retailer of pet products and services in North America, which was downgraded by several analysts last month, citing weaker holiday traffic trends and expectations for increased online competition ahead.

However, PETM has been fairly unscathed by the growing dominance of online retailers over the years. The simple reason for this is the fact that no one has been able to stay in the business of selling 50 pound bags of dog food at a discount while also providing free shipping for very long. Additionally, demand for its products tends to be fairly inelastic and less affected by consumer spending trends.

10 Best Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: SurModics Inc.(SRDX)

SurModics, Inc. provides drug delivery and surface modification technologies to the healthcare industry. The company offers surface modification coating technologies to enhance access, deliverability, and predictable deployment of medical devices, as well as drug delivery coating technologies to provide site-specific drug delivery from the surface of a medical device for the coronary, peripheral, neuro-vascular, and urology markets. It also provides a range of drug delivery technologies for injectable therapeutics, including microparticles, nanoparticles, and implants addressing a range of clinical applications, such as ophthalmology, oncology, dermatology, and neurology. In addition, the company provides in vitro diagnostic component products and technologies comprising microarray slide technologies, protein stabilization reagents, substrates, polymers and reagent chemicals, and antigens for diagnostic test kits and biomedical research applications. SurModics, Inc. market s its technologies and products worldwide through direct sales force consisting of sales professionals. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on SurModics (Nasdaq: SRDX  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014: ICICI Bank Ltd (IBN)

ICICI Bank Limited (the Bank), incorporated on January 5, 1994, is a banking company. The Bank, together with its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates, is a diversified financial services group providing a range of banking and financial services, including commercial banking, retail banking, project and corporate finance, working capital finance, insurance, venture capital and private equity, investment banking, broking and treasury products and services. It operates under four segments: retail banking, wholesale banking, treasury and other banking. Retail Banking includes exposures of the Bank, which satisfy the four criteria of orientation, product, granularity and low value of individual exposures for retail exposures. Wholesale Banking includes all advances to trusts, partnership firms, companies and statutory bodies, which are not included under Retail Banking. Treasury includes the entire investment portfolio of the Bank. Other Banking includes hire purchase and leasing operations and other items. As of March 31, 2012, the Bank had 17 subsidiaries. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013, the Company added 348 branches and 1,475 automated teller machines (ATMs) to its network, taking its branch and ATM count to 3,100 and 10,481 respectively at March 31, 2013.

Retail Banking

The branch network serves as an integrated channel for deposit mobilization, selected retail asset origination and distribution of third-party products, as well as the focal point for customer service. During fiscal 2011, the Bank continued its focus on increasing the proportion of low-cost retail deposits in its funding base. During fiscal 2011, its retail disbursements increased as it focused on opportunities in residential mortgages, vehicle finance and construction equipment finance. The Company also continued to focus on cross-selling new products and products of its life and general insurance subsidiaries to its existing customers. As of March 31, 2013, its ATMs offer services such a! s opening fixed deposits, payment of credit card and utility bills, payment of insurance premium, mobile re-charges and ultra fast cash.

Small Enterprises

The Company offers banking solutions to small and medium enterprises across industry segments. The Company supports the growth of the small and medium enterprises sector while adopting a cluster-based financing approach for enterprises with a homogeneous profile in industries, such as infrastructure, engineering, information technology, education, life-sciences and agri-based businesses. The Company also offers supply chain financing solutions to the channel partners of large corporates.

Corporate Banking

The Bank offers a suite of corporate banking products, including rupee and foreign currency debt, working capital credit, structured financing, loan syndication and commercial banking products and services. The Company also puts in place product specific teams with a view to focus on designing financial solutions for clients spread across structured finance, project finance, loan syndication and markets. The relationship team also works with its Markets Group to assist customers in devising and executing risk management strategies to address foreign currency, interest rate and liquidity risks. Its loan syndication franchise enables the Bank to structure, underwrite and syndicate rupee and foreign currency debt with Indian and offshore investors. The Bank has built robust sector-specific syndication skills across project finance, merger and acquisition (M&A) financing and structured finance to provide optimal financing solutions.

International Banking

The Company�� international banking business is focused on meeting the foreign currency needs of its Indian corporate clients and partnering them in their global expansion, taking select trade finance exposures linked to imports to India. ICICI Bank has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Russia and Canada, branches in the U! nited Sta! tes, Singapore, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Dubai International Finance Centre and Qatar Financial Centre and representative offices in the United Arab Emirates, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Bank�� wholly owned subsidiary, ICICI Bank UK PLC, has 11 branches in the United Kingdom and a branch each in Belgium and Germany. ICICI Bank Canada has nine branches. ICICI Bank Eurasia Limited Liability Company has one branch.

The Company develops products and service offerings to meet the requirements of the Non Resident Indian (NRI) community. The Bank launched I-Express, an instant cross-border money transfer option for NRIs through its select partners in the Middle East. The I-Express facility offers the remitter an option of visiting any partner outlet for instant credit into the beneficiary account maintained with ICICI Bank in India, at no extra cost. The Company also launched Fixed Rupee on Money2India.com, a facility that enables NRIs to send the exact rupee amount remittance to India since the exchange rate is confirmed at the time of initiating the remittance.

Inclusive and Rural Banking

Inclusive and Rural Banking include offering credit to the rural market through the Bank's branches and dedicated field teams and financial inclusion through business correspondents. The Bank focuses on improving its product and service offerings to meet the requirements of all participants in the rural market, including farmers, traders, commission agents, small processors and other medium agri-corporates. The Bank focuses on building capacity to implement its financial inclusion plan. The Bank also focused on opening accounts for routing benefit payments under various government schemes and has received the mandate for opening accounts of individuals under these schemes in certain states.

The Bank has also identified 25 business correspondents having a network of over 7,500 customer service points, to service these cust! omers. Th! e Bank provides basic financial services to the unbanked and underbanked

population comprising small and marginal farmers, daily wage labourers, beneficiaries of government. Around 47% of the Bank�� branches are in rural and semi-urban areas

Treasury

The Bank provides provide foreign exchange and derivative products and services to customers through its Markets Group. These products and services include foreign exchange products for hedging currency risk, foreign exchange and interest rate derivatives, such as options and swaps and bullion transactions.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Finally, Viking's biggest closed positions included News Corp.�and Schlumberger. Other closed positions of interest include India-based ICICI Bank (NYSE: IBN  ) . In April, the bank reported double-digit profit increases and rising ROE, and it recently yielded 2%. Analysts at Zacks downgraded the bank earlier this month, though, citing deterioration of its credit quality and expected steep operating expenses. ICICI is a major lender in India and is growing briskly there, and is�expanding abroad, targeting even China. Its stock is up about 29% over the past year and has averaged 20.5% annually over the past decade.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Finally, Caxton Associates' biggest closed positions included Sprint Nextel�and JPMorgan Chase. Other closed positions of interest include India-based ICICI Bank (NYSE: IBN  ) . In April, the bank reported double-digit profit increases and rising ROE. Analysts at Zacks downgraded the bank earlier this month, though, citing deterioration of its credit quality and expected steep operating expenses.

Top Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014: Arch Coal Inc. (ACI)

Arch Coal, Inc. produces and sells thermal and metallurgical coal from surface and underground mines located in the United States. As of December 31, 2013, it operated or contracted out the operation of 22 mines, and owned or controlled approximately 5.3 billion tons of proven and probable recoverable reserves. The company also owned or controlled primarily through long-term leases approximately 32,135 acres of coal land in Ohio; 22,417 acres of coal land in Maryland; 46,532 acres of coal land in Virginia; 425,038 acres of coal land in West Virginia; 107,668 acres of coal land in Wyoming; 267,024 acres of coal land in Illinois; 19,428 acres of coal land in Montana; 21,802 acres of coal land in New Mexico; and 20,166 acres of coal land in Colorado, as well as coal land in Kentucky. In addition, it owned or controlled through long-term leases smaller parcels of property in Alabama, Indiana, Washington, Arkansas, California, Utah, and Texas. The company sells coal to power pl ants, steel mills, and industrial facilities. Arch Coal, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy]

  In the following video, Fool.com energy contributors Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy discuss a second straight record quarter for Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI  ) . With many in the U.S. looking at coal as a dying industry due to the boom in natural gas, is Arch Coal proving the naysayers wrong? Is this only a temporary situation for the company due to pricing, or could the outlook for the coal industry be better than predicted? Tyler tells investors what Arch Coal is doing to beat expectations and deliver for shareholders, and gives us a good look at where the coal industry is heading.

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  Investors have certainly been "fearful" of the coal sector. The exchange traded fund for coal, Market Vectors Coal (NYSE: KOL), is off nearly 20 percent for the year. Stocks such as Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI) and Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR) are also down sharply for 2013. But Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) just surprised Wall Street in beating forecasts for the most recent quarter: as a result, its share price is up more than 7 percent for the week.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI  ) will soon be sending along another hopper full of shareholder payouts. The company has declared its latest common stock dividend, which is to be $0.03 per share paid on September 13 to holders of record as of August 30. That amount matches each of the firm's previous five distributions, the most recent of which was paid last month. Prior to that, Arch Coal was more generous, handing out $0.11 per share.

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Matt discusses Peabody (NYSE: BTU  ) , CONSOL Energy (NYSE: CNX  ) , Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI  ) , and Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR  ) , which one he likes best, and why he would stay away from the other three.

Top Shipping Stocks To Invest In 2014: DryShips Inc (DRYS)

DryShips Inc. (DryShips), incorporated in September 2004, is a holding company engaged in the ocean transportation services of drybulk cargoes and crude oil worldwide through the ownership and operation of drybulk carrier vessels and oil tankers and offshore drilling services through the ownership and operation of ultra-deepwater drilling units. As of December 31, 2011, DryShips owned and operated two fifth generation ultra-deepwater, semi-submersible offshore drilling rigs, the Leiv Eiriksson and the Eirik Raude, and four sixth generation, advanced capability ultra-deepwater drillships, the Ocean Rig Corcovado, the Ocean Rig Olympia, the Ocean Rig Poseidon and the Ocean Rig Mykonos. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned and operated four Aframax tankers, Saga, Daytona, Belmar, and Calida, and one Suezmax tanker, Vilamoura. On August 24, 2011, DryShips acquired all of their shares of OceanFreight Inc. On October 5, 2011, DryShips completed the partial spin off of Ocean Rig UDW Inc. (Ocean Rig UDW). On November 3, 2011, the merger of Pelican Stockholdings Inc. (Pelican Stockholdings), its wholly owned subsidiary, and OceanFreight, was completed. In January 2013, it sold two of its tankers under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries, Esperona and Blanca.

As of December 31, 2011, DryShips operated its tankers under pooling arrangements that are managed by Heidmar Inc. As of March 6, 2012, the Company owned, through its subsidiaries, a fleet of 36 drybulk carriers, consisting of nine Capesize, 25 Panamax and two Supramax vessels, which have a combined deadweight tonnage of approximately 3.53 million deadweight tonnage and an average age of approximately eight years; six drilling units, comprised of two modern, fifth generation, advanced capability ultra-deepwater semisubmersible offshore drilling rigs and four sixth generation, advanced capability ultra-deepwater drillships, and five tankers, comprised of four Aframax and one Suezmax tankers.

The Company�� drybulk flee! t principally carries a variety of drybulk commodities, including major bulk items, such as coal, iron ore, and grains, and minor bulk items, such as bauxite, phosphate, fertilizers and steel products. During the year ended December 31, 2011, DryShips sold the drybulk vessel Primera; contracted for and completed the sale of the drybulk vessels La Jolla, Conquistador, Brisbane, Samsara and Toro; took delivery of its four sixth-generation, ultra-deepwater advanced capability sister drillships constructed by Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (Samsung), the Ocean Rig Corcovado, the Ocean Rig Olympia, the Ocean Rig Poseidon and the Ocean Rig Mykonos; took delivery of three newbuilding Aframax tankers, Saga, Daytona and Belmar, and one newbuilding Suezmax tanker, Vilamoura, and acquired four Capesize vessels, MV Robusto, MV Cohiba, MV Montecristo and MV Partagas, two Panamax vessels, the MV Topeka and the MV Helena. DryShips contracted for and completed the sale of the drybulk vessels Avoca and Padre, which were delivered to their new owners, on February 14, 2012 and February 24, 2012, respectively.

Drybulk Operations

The Company manages the deployment of its drybulk fleet between long-term and short-term time charters. A time charter is a contract to charter a vessel for a fixed period of time at a specified or floating daily or index-based daily rate and can last from a few days to several years. A spot charter refers to a voyage charter or a trip charter or a short-term time charter. Under a bareboat charter, the vessel is chartered for a stipulated period of time, which gives the charterer possession and control of the vessel, including the right to appoint the master and the crew.

Offshore Drilling Operations

In January 2012, following the completion of the contract with Tullow Oil plc (Tullow Oil) contract, discussed below, the Eirik Raude commenced a contract with Anadarko Cote d��voire Company (Anadarko) for the drilling of two wells offshore West ! Africa. I! ts offshore drilling operations consist of the Ocean Rig Corcovado, the Ocean Rig Olympia, the Ocean Rig Poseidon and the Ocean Rig Mykonos. As of December 31, 2011, the Ocean Rig Corcovado was employed under a three-year contract, plus a mobilization period, with Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras Brazil) for drilling operations offshore Brazil. The Ocean Rig Olympia is operating under contracts to drill a total of five wells for exploration drilling offshore Ghana and the Ivory Coast. The Ocean Rig Poseidon commenced a contract with Petrobras Tanzania, a company related to Petrobras Oil & Gas B.V. (Petrobras Oil & Gas).

The Ocean Rig Mykonos commenced a three-year contract, plus a mobilization period, with Petrobras Brazil, on September 30, 2011, for drilling operations offshore Brazil. DryShips�� wholly owned subsidiary, Ocean Rig AS, provides supervisory management services, including onshore management, to its operating drilling rigs and drillships. DryShips also has contracts to provide offshore drilling services and drilling units.

Tanker Operations

The Company employs its Aframax tankers Saga, Daytona, Belmar and Calida, in the Sigma tanker pool, which consists of 46 Aframax tankers, with fourteen different pool partners. It employs its Suezmax tanker, Vilamoura, in the Blue Fin tanker pool, which consists of 18 Suezmax tankers with eight different pool partners.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Back in early November, yours truly penned some bullish thoughts on FreeSeas Inc. (NASDAQ:FREE), NewLead Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:NEWL), and DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ:DRYS). While each stock has its own merits, the crux of the bullishness was ultimately rooted in the brewing rebound of the Baltic Dry Index... a reflection of the prices companies pay shippers like FreeSeas and DryShips to haul goods over the ocean.

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Watch For 2015

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Watch For 2015: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc (PLKI)

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc, formerly AFC Enterprises, Inc. incorporated on July 27, 1992, develops, operates, and franchises quick-service restaurants (QSRs or restaurants) under the trade names Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (collectively Popeyes). Within Popeyes, it manages two business segments: franchise operations and ompany-operated restaurants. Within the QSR industry, Popeyes distinguishes itself with a Louisiana style menu, which features spicy chicken, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and other seafood, red beans and rice and other regional items. As of December 25, 2012, the Company operated and franchised 2,104 Popeyes restaurants in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Cayman Islands and 26 foreign countries. As of December 25, 2012, of its 1,634 domestic franchised restaurants, approximately 70% were concentrated in Texas, California, Louisiana, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Georgia , Virginia and Mississippi. Of its 425 international franchised restaurants, approximately 60% were located in Korea, Canada, and Turkey. Of its 45 Company-operated restaurants, approximately 80% were concentrated in Louisiana and Tennessee. In November 2012, the Company acquired 27 restaurants in Minnesota and California.

As of December 25, 2012, the Company had 340 franchisees operating restaurants within the Popeyes system. During the fiscal year ended December 25, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Popeyes system opened 141 restaurants, which included 75 domestic and 65 international restaurants. During fiscal 2011, the Popeyes system permanently closed 75 restaurants, resulting in 66 net restaurant openings, compared to 65 net openings. As of December 25, 2012, it leased 12 restaurants and subleased 44 restaurants to franchisees. In addition, it leased three properties to unrelated third parties. Of the restaurants leased or subleased to ! franchisees, 29 were located i n Texas and 16 were located in Georgia. On November 7, 2012, the Company entered into a new agreement with the King Features Syndicate Division of Hearst Holdings, Inc., licensor of the Popeye the Sailorman and associated cartoon characters.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steve Symington]

  With the taste of last quarter'ssolid performancestill fresh on investors' palates, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (NASDAQ: PLKI  ) just served up another plate of mixed quarterly results. But this time, the quick-service restaurant chain added a little extra kick with its guidance.

• [By Mark Yagalla]

  As the fast-food wars heat up, restaurants are getting more creative with their menu items. One item that is getting a lot of attention is the waffle. Two restaurant chains that have introduced their own variations of the waffle are Taco Bell, owned by Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM  ) and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (NASDAQ: PLKI  ) . Taco Bell has made the Waffle Taco a centerpiece of its new breakfast menu. Meanwhile, Popeyes is bringing back its popular Chicken Waffle Tenders. Could the waffle be the answer and boost same-store sales for these restaurants? If it is the answer, expect to see more variations of the waffle on many more menu boards.

• [By Sue Chang]

  Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc. (PLKI) is expected to report first-quarter earnings of 45 cents a share.

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Alamy Fried chicken and waffles is a staple menu item at countless soul food and comfort food restaurants, but that's not stopping Burger King (BKW) from trying to give the meal a fast-food spin. Burger King is testing a new sandwich in the Northeast that takes the breaded chicken patty used in its Classic Crispy Chicken Sandwich from its King Deals Value Menu and replaces the bun w! ith a spl! it waffle. Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Sandwich isn't as hearty as the meal that it's based on. It's selling for as little as $2.29. But the chain's latest attempt to turn heads with a unique menu item will at least attract curious nibblers if it does decide to broaden the offering across the country. Waffling About Burger King isn't the first popular chain to attempt to reinvent this classic dish. As Nation's Restaurant News points out, last summer, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (PLKI) offered Chicken Waffle Tenders -- consisting of chicken tenders dipped in a vanilla maple-scented waffle batter, served with a honey maple dipping sauce. DineEquity's (DIN) IHOP did it three years ago by combining its chicken strips with Belgian waffle quarters. Yum! Brands (YUM) tried to breathe new life into its breakfast business last summer by testing a Waffle Taco -- an egg, sausage, and waffle breakfast sandwich. Even if it doesn't succeed -- and some of the early taste tests haven't been very flattering to the chain's new sandwich -- it's at least comforting to see that Burger King isn't just copying McDonald's (MCD) the way that it has for the past couple of years. Burger King followed McDonald's in offering fancy coffee drinks, fresh fruit smoothies, and popcorn chicken. It has gone on to roll out doppelgangers of the Egg McMuffin and McRib sandwiches. In November, it introduced the Big King, which any patron will quickly recognize as a body double to the Big Mac. Then again, it's not as if following McDonald's lead is such a clever idea right now. The world's largest re

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/hot-restaurant-stocks-to-watch-for-2015.html

Top Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sonova Holding AG (SOON)

Sonova Holding AG is a Switzerland-based company operating in the healthcare sector. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, specializes in the design, development, manufacture, worldwide distribution and service of technologically advanced hearing systems for adults and children with hearing impairment. The Company is active in two operating segments: the Hearing instruments segment includes the companies that are active in the design, development, manufacture, distribution and service of hearing instruments and related products, and the Cochlear implants segment includes the companies that are active in the design, development, manufacture, distribution and service of hearing implants and related products. The Company operates worldwide and distributes its products in over 90 countries through its own distribution network and through independent distributors. Sonova Holding AG is the holding company of the Sonova Group. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Sonova (SOON) advanced 6.9 percent to 126.50 Swiss francs after predicting that annual earnings before interest, taxes and amortization would grow as much as 14 percent, compared with a previous forecast of 9 percent to 13 percent. Sales will increase 8 percent to 10 percent, up from an earlier projection of 6 percent to 8 percent.

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  ThyssenKrupp AG slid to a 10-week low after raising 882.3 million euros ($1.2 billion) through a share sale. Antofagasta Plc led a measure of mining companies to a seven-week low. Sonova Holding AG (SOON) declined 1.5 percent as Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the Swiss hearing-aid maker. Orange SA slipped 3.4 percent amid concern a price war in the French mobile market will extend to fourth-generation data services.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top! -integrated-utility-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Hot Trucking Companies To Buy For 2014

Dana Holding Corp. (DAN)(0.3%) (DAN - $23.27 - NYSE) is a Maumee, Ohio based supplier of axles, drivelines and thermal products for the automotive and trucking industries. Dana's new CEO, Roger Wood, has begun to emphasize the company's strong technological expertise in thermal management technology, including advanced battery cooling products for next generation vehicles. Additionally, the company is beginning to reap the benefits of efforts to improve customer pricing as well as internal manufacturing efficiencies, both of which are expected to improve margins amid robust demand in the company's core auto and trucking markets.From Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio)'s Gabelli Asset Fund's first quarter 2014 shareholder commentary.Also check out: Mario Gabelli Undervalued Stocks Mario Gabelli Top Growth Companies Mario Gabelli High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Mario Gabelli keeps buying Currently 0.00/512345

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes)

Top Machinery Companies To Own For 2015: Paulson Capital Corp.(PLCC)

Paulson Capital Corp., through its subsidiary, Paulson Investment Company, Inc., operates as a brokerage company principally in the United States. It engages in securities brokerage activities, which include acting as agent for purchase and sale of common and preferred stocks, options, warrants, and debt securities traded on securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. The company?s corporate finance activities comprise underwriting initial and follow-on public offerings, private investments in public equity, and private placements for smaller companies; securities trading and market making activities consist of executing trades in equity securities, corporate debt securities, and municipal bonds; and market making activities are conducted with dealers in the wholesale market and its customers. Its investment activities include holding securities for investment, which primarily include securities purchased for investment and underwriter warrants. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 39 branch offices in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Paulson Capital Corp. was founded in 1969 and is based in Portland, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Paulson Capital Corp. (Nasdaq:PLCC), parent company of Paulson Investment Company, Inc., reported a net income of $1,412,294 (or $0.24 per share) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 versus a net loss of $381,210 (or ($0.07) per share) for the like period in 2011.

Hot Trucking Companies To Buy For 2014: Alliance Data Systems Corporation (ADS)

Alliance Data Systems Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides data-driven and transaction-based marketing, and customer loyalty solutions primarily in the United States and Canada. The company operates in three segments: LoyaltyOne, Epsilon, and Private Label Services and Credit. The LoyaltyOne segment includes AIR MILES Reward Program that enables consumers to earn AIR MILES reward miles as they shop within a range of retailers and other sponsors participating in the AIR MILES Reward Program; and offers loyalty services, including loyalty consulting, customer analytics, and creative services. The Epsilon segment provides integrated direct marketing solutions, which combine database marketing technology and analytics with a range of direct marketing services comprising email marketing campaigns. This segment's products and services consist of marketing database services, analytical services, strategic consulting and creative services, proprietary data service s, and digital communications. The Private Label Services and Credit segment encompasses credit card processing, billing and payment processing, customer care and collections services for private label retailers, as well as private label retail credit card receivables financing, including securitization of the credit card receivables that it underwrites from its private label retail credit card programs. The company serves financial services, specialty retail, grocery and drugstore chains, petroleum retail, technology, hospitality and travel, media, and pharmaceuticals end markets. Alliance Data Systems Corporation was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sue Chang and Ben Eisen]

  Alliance Data Systems Inc. (ADS) �shares gained 9.3%. The operator of loyalty programs and private-label credit cards reported core earnings of $2.39 in the fourth quarter versus analysts��estimate of $2.33 a share.

• [By Tom Taulli]

  A key to Facebook�� monetization success has been the company�� aggressive investments in ad technologies. For example, by leveraging third-party data sources — such as from Datalogix, Acxiom (ACXM) and Alliance Data Systems (ADS) — it has been able to provide analytics on the performance of ad campaigns. On the Q4 earnings call, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said the average return on News Feed ads was an incredible 8x.

Hot Trucking Companies To Buy For 2014: PC-Tel Inc.(PCTI)

PCTEL, Inc. provides propagation and optimization solutions for the wireless industry. It designs and develops software-based radios (scanning receivers) for wireless network optimization; and develops and distributes antenna solutions. The company?s scanning receivers, receiver-based products, and interference management solutions are used to measure, monitor, and optimize cellular networks. It offers various antenna products for worldwide interoperability for microwave access antennas, land mobile radio antennas, and precision global positioning systems antennas that serve applications in telemetry, radio frequency identification, WiFi, fleet management, and mesh networks. The company?s antenna solutions address public safety, military, and government applications; supervisory control and data acquisition, health care, energy, smart grid, and agricultural applications; and indoor wireless, wireless backhaul, and cellular applications. PCTEL, Inc. supplies its products to public and private carriers, wireless infrastructure providers, wireless equipment distributors, value added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers through distributors and direct sales force. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  PCTEL (PCTI) designs and develops software-based radios for wireless network optimization and develops and distributes innovative antenna solutions. This stock closed up 1.1% to $9.83 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $9.70-$9.85
  
  52-Week Range: $5.65-$10.00
  
  Thursday's Volume: 77,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 80,200

  From a technical perspective, PCTI bounced modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $9.50 with decent upside volume. This stock has been trending sideways in a consolidation pattern for the last month, with shares moving between $9.08 on the downside and $10 on the upside. Shares of PCTI are now quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if PCTI manages to take out its 52-week high at $10 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PCTI as long as it's trending above near-term support at $9.50 or above $9.08 and then once it sustains a move or close above $10 with volume that hits near or above 80,200 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PCTI will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $12 to $13.

Hot Trucking Companies To Buy For 2014: Novatel Wireless Inc.(NVTL)

Novatel Wireless, Inc. provides wireless broadband access solutions for the mobile communications market worldwide. It operates in two segments, Mobile Computing Products and machine-to-machine (M2M) Products and Solutions. The Mobile Computing Products segment offers MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspots, which provide connectivity option for Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as the iPad, Kindle, tablets, PCs, MP3 players, and gaming devices; USB and PC-Card modems for wireless access; and embedded modules for use in laptop PCs, netbooks, tablets, and other electronic products to provide wireless broadband access. This segment also offers MobiLink mobile communications software suite, an object-oriented application that enables access to connectivity features, such as SMS, multimedia messaging, and virtual private networking, as well as provides video telephony and wireless local area networks management capabilities; and MiFi DLNA Server, which operates on MiFi hotspots and enables user to access and play movies, music, and photos. It serves wireless operators, laptop PC and other original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and various companies in other vertical markets. The M2M Products and Solutions segment provides asset-management solutions utilizing wireless technology and M2M communications devices. It offers Spider MT, SA, and AT integrated solutions and accessories for monitoring and managing mobile and fixed assets, vehicle tracking and telemetric, and workforce tracking and management; Enabler III and HS embedded solutions for various products or equipment to communicate with other computers; and N4A software and design services, including software and design services primarily for asset management solutions. This segment serves transportation companies, industrial companies, manufacturers of medical devices and geographical-location aware devices, and providers of security systems. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered i n San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Bradley C. Bower/Bloomberg/Getty Images In any given week, some stocks are sure to shoot up, and others will plummet. The big gainers inspire us to keep investing. The presence of the decliners keeps our greed in check while reminding us about the risks of the equity markets. Let's go over some of last week's best and worst performers. Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AVNR) -- Up 64 percent last week Last week's biggest gainer was Avanir Pharmaceuticals. The volatile biotech soared after revealing favorable clinical trials data on its AVP-923 drug candidate that treats agitation associated with Alzheimer's. This is a major hurdle cleared on the long path to gaining regulatory approval, but this is just the second of three clinical trial phases that Avanir needs to shine through to get its treatment on the market. Novatel Wireless (NVTL) -- Up 33 percent last week Novatel Wireless moved higher after IT products distributor and services provider Synnex announced an expanded deal to offer Novatel products throughout the U.S. and Canada. H.C. Wainwright followed by initiating coverage of Novatel with a buy rating and a $4 price target that it deems as conservative and one that it's likely to raise "sooner rather than later." Apogee Enterprises (APOG) -- Up 14 percent last week There weren't too many companies reporting quarterly results last week, but Apogee was one that managed to shine through. The provider of value-added glass products and services saw revenue soar 30 percent in its latest quarter. Adjusted earnings climbed 67 percent to $0.35 a share, beating Wall Street expectations. The strong showing finds Apogee raising its outlook for fiscal 2015. VirnetX (VHC) -- Down 65 percent last week The market's biggest loser was VirnetX, shedding nearly two-thirds of its value after an unfavorable patent ruling. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejected a jury award of $368.2 million that VirnetX initially won against Apple (AAPL) in 2012 for patent

• [By Chris Neiger]

  Today, Sprint (NYSE: S  ) , in�partnership with Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: NVTL  ) , announced that it will bring the MiFi 500 LTE tri-band wireless hotspot device to Sprint's network on July 19 -- the first tri-band device for the company.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Novatel Wireless (NVTL), provides wireless broadband access solutions for the mobile communications market worldwide. This stock closed up 4.1% to $2.01 in Thursday's trading session.

  Thursday's Range: $1.90-$2.02
  
  52-Week Range: $1.51-$3.55
  
  Thursday's Volume: 279,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 147,319

  From a technical perspective, NVTL ripped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $1.88 with above-average volume. This strong spike to the upside on Thursday is quickly pushing shares of NVTL within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if NVTL manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.10 to $2.11 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NVTL as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $1.88 or above more near-term support at $1.74 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 147,319 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then NVTL will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.18 to $2.30. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give NVTL a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from March that started at $2.85.

Hot Trucking Companies To Buy For 2014: Stellus Capital Investment Corp (SCM)

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation is an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The Company was formed to originate and invest primarily in private middle-market companies.

The Company is focusing on a variety of industry sectors, including business services, energy, general industrial, government services, healthcare, software and specialty finance. Its investment activities will be managed by its investment adviser, Stellus Capital Management. It intends to originate and invest primarily in private middle-market companies through first lien, second lien, unitranche and mezzanine debt financing.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Investing Caffeine]

  With the stock market reaching all-time record highs (S&P 500: 1900), you would think there would be a lot of cheers, high-fiving, and back slapping. Instead, investors are ignoring the sunny, blue skies and taking off their rose-colored glasses. Rather than securely sleeping like a baby (or relaxing during a three-day weekend) with their investment accounts, people are biting their fingernails with clenched teeth, while searching for a market boogeyman in their closets or under their beds.If you don�� believe me, all you have to do is pick up the paper, turn on the TV, or walk over to the office water cooler. An avalanche of scary headlines that are spooking investors include geopolitical concerns in Ukraine & Thailand, slowing housing statistics, bearish hedge fund managers (i.e., Tepper Einhorn, Cooperman), declining interest rates, and collapsing internet stocks. In other words, investors are looking for things to worry about, despite record corporate profits and stock prices. Peter Lynch, the manager of the Magellan Fund that posted +2,700% in gains from 1977-1990, put short-term stock price volatility into perspective:��ou shouldn�� worry about it. You should worry what are stocks going to be 10 years from now, 20 years from now, 30 years from now.��ather than focusing on immediate stock market volatility and other factors out of your control, why not prioritize your time on things you can control. What investors can control is their asset allocation and spending levels (budget), subject to their personal time horizons and risk tolerances. Circumstances always change, but if people spent half the time on investing that they devoted to planning holiday vacations, purchasing a car, or choosing a school for their child, then retirement would be a lot less stressful. After realizing 99% of all the short-term news is nonsensical noise, the next important realization is stocks are volatile securities, which frequently go down -10 to -20%. As much

• [By Investing Caffeine]

  DISCLOSURE: Sidoxia Capital Management (SCM) and some of its clients hold long positions in certain exchange traded funds (ETFs), but at the time of publishing SCM had no direct position in GS, SCHW, ICE, or any other security referenced in this article. No information accessed through the Investing Caffeine (IC) website constitutes investment, financial, legal, tax or other advice nor is to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. Please read disclosure language on IC Contact page.

Hot Trucking Companies To Buy For 2014: ForeverGreen Worldwide Corp (FVRG)

ForeverGreen Worldwide Corporation, incorporated on March 18, 1999, is a holding company that operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, ForeverGreen International, LLC. The Company's product philosophy is to develop, manufacture and market the science and nature through formulations as the Company produces and manufacture a wide arrays of whole foods, nutritional supplements, personal care products and essential oils. The Company provides health answers, not only through exclusive nutritional whole food beverages, but also by providing a broad product lines of delicious whole foods that can be eaten for every meal, instead of the processed, fatty and preservative-laden synthetic meals prevalent in society.

The Company provides the every-meal answer with a variety of appetizing healthy food products that allow its Members and customers to eat healthy for every meal and snack throughout the day. In addition, the Company provides healthy personal care products as an alternative to the chemical-laden and synthetic products in the marketplace that may potentially negatively impacts its health. The Company's products, along with a distinct and fresh corporate philosophy and message of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health through service to community and others, attract consumers as well as Members who wish to own a home-based business selling the Company's products and spreading its health message.

The Company's primary product is FrequenSea, a whole-food beverage consisting of a blend of marine phytoplankton, ionic sea minerals, frankincense, rose, ginger and aloe vera in a base of blueberry, cranberry and lime juice concentrate. soluble. FrequenSea is sold as a single bottle, in individual single-serving packets or even in four-bottle packs. The marine phytoplankton in FrequenSea contains more than 200 different sea algae that are all processed through patent-pending harvesting processes. Azul is a rich-in-antioxidant, delicious powdered blend of 24 raw whole foo! d and fruit ingredients and probiotics that are naturally dried and blended to preserve their natural integrity.The Company's whole food offerings consist of a variety of healthy, natural food products that are made onsite in the Company's whole-food manufacturing facility. Versativa Pulse based with hemp seed, consists of 17 different nuts, seeds, fruits, grains and other whole foods. Pulse is offered in various flavors, either loose in bags or in snack bars, and may be used as a snack or a meal replacement.

The Company competes with NuSkin, Neways, Young Living Essential Oils, Amway Corporation, Herbalife and NuSkin Enterprises.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, FVRG remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.780 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 10:06AM EDT August 12, 2013).

  ForeverGreen Worldwide Corporation previously reported that sales are continuing to flourish. Sales for July 2013 increased to in excess of $1.44 million compared to $1.04 million during July 2012, an increase of 38.1%. Sequentially, sales increased 12.3% compared to June 2013.

• [By CRWE]

  Last Friday, FVRG had shed (-15.38%) down -0.100 at $.550 with 20,050 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance August 16, 2013 ��Close).

  ForeverGreen Worldwide Corporation previously reported that sales are continuing to flourish. Sales for July 2013 increased to in excess of $1.44 million compared to $1.04 million during July 2012, an increase of 38.1%. Sequentially, sales increased 12.3% compared to June 2013.

Top 10 Gas Stocks To Own Right Now

Top 10 Gas Stocks To Own Right Now: Pioneer Natural Resources Co (PXD)

Pioneer Natural Resources Company (Pioneer),incorporated on April 4, 1997, is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States and South Africa. Pioneer is a holding company whose assets consist of direct and indirect ownership interests in, and whose business is conducted substantially through, its subsidiaries. The Company sells homogenous oil, natural gas liquid (NGL) and gas units. The Company provides administrative, financial, legal and management support to United States and South Africa subsidiaries that explore for, develop and produce proved reserves. The Company's continuing operations are principally located in the United States in the states of Texas, Kansas, Colorado and Alaska. During February 2011, the Company completed the sale of Pioneer Natural Resources Tunisia Ltd. and Pioneer Natural Resources Anaguid Ltd. In April 2012, it acquired Carmeuse Industrial Sands (CIS). In August 2012, the Company sold it s South Africa business to The Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (SOC) Ltd. (PetroSA). Effective December 17, 2013, Pioneer Natural Resources Company and Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P announced the completion of the merger of Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P with a wholly owned subsidiary of Pioneer Natural Resources Company, with Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P surviving the merger as an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Pioneer Natural Resources Company.

The Company has 15 owned drilling rigs operating in the Spraberry field, and as of December 31, 2011, had Company-owned fracture stimulation fleets totaling 250,000 horsepower supporting drilling operations in the Spraberry, Eagle Ford Shale and Barnett Shale Combo areas. The Company also owns other field service equipment, including pulling units, fracture stimulation ! tanks, water transport trucks, hot oilers, blowout preventers, construction equipment and fishing tools. T he Company owns a 52.4% limited partner interest and a 0.1% ! general partner interest in Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. and its subsidiaries (Pioneer Southwest). The Company's proved reserves totaled 1,063 million barrel of oil equivalent at December 31, 2011. Approximately 83% of the Company's proved reserves at December 31, 2011 are located in the Spraberry field in the Permian Basin area, the Hugoton and West Panhandle fields in the Mid-Continent area and the Raton field in the Rocky Mountains area.

Permian Basin

The Spraberry field encompasses eight counties in West Texas. The field is approximately 150 miles long and 75 miles wide at its widest point. The oil produced is West Texas Intermediate Sweet, and the gas produced is casinghead gas with an average energy content of 1,400 British thermal unit. The oil and gas are produced primarily from four formations, the upper and lower Spraberry, the Dean and the Wolfcamp, at depths ranging from 6,700 feet to 11,300 feet. During the year ended Dece mber 31, 2011, the Company drilled 706 wells in the Spraberry field and its total acreage position approximated 820,000 gross acres (691,000 net acres). The Company has 44 rigs operating, of which 41 are drilling vertical wells and three are drilling horizontal wells. The Company completed its second horizontal well in the Upper/Middle Wolfcamp Shale in Upton County, Texas with a 30-stage fracture stimulation in a 5,800-foot lateral section. The Company is focusing its horizontal efforts on more than 200,000 acres in the southern part of the field to hold acreage. The Company continues to test down spacing in the Spraberry field from 40 acres to 20 acres. Sixteen 20-acre wells were drilled in 2011, with 10 of these wells having been placed on production. These 20-acre wells were drilled to the Lower Wolfcamp interval, with a few deepened to the Strawn interval.

Mid-Continent

The Hugoton field in southwest Kansas is a producing gas fields in the cont inental United States. The gas is produced from the Chase an! d Council! Grove formations at depths ranging from 2,700 feet to 3,000 feet. The Company's Hugoton properties are located on approximately 284,000 gross acres (245,000 net acres), covering approximately 400 square miles. The Company has working interests in approximately 1,220 wells in the Hugoton field, approximately 1,000 of which it operates. The Company operates substantially all of the gathering and processing facilities, including the Satanta plant, which processes the production from the Hugoton field. In January 2011, the Company sold a 49% interest in the Satanta plant to an unaffiliated third party for the third party's commitment to dedicate gas volumes to the Satanta plant. The Company is also exploring opportunities to process other gas production in the Hugoton area at the Satanta plant. By maintaining operatorship of the gathering and processing facilities, the Company is able to control the production, gathering, processing and sale of its Hugoton field gas and NGL production.

The West Panhandle properties are located in the panhandle region of Texas. These reserves are attributable to the Red Cave, Brown Dolomite, Granite Wash and fractured Granite formations at depths no greater than 3,500 feet. The Company's gas has an average energy content of 1,365 British thermal unit and is produced from approximately 680 wells on more than 259,000 gross acres (252,000 net acres) covering over 375 square miles. The Company controls 100% of the wells, production equipment, gathering system and the Fain gas processing plant for the field.

Raton

The Raton Basin properties are located in the southeast portion of Colorado. The Company owns approximately 227,000 gross acres (201,000 net acres) in the center of the Raton Basin and produces CBM gas from the coal seams in the Vermejo and Rato! n formati! ons from approximately 2,300 wells. The Company owns the majority of the well servicing and fracture stimulation e quipment that it utilizes in the Raton field, allowing it to! control ! costs and insure availability.

South Texas Eagle Ford Shale and Edwards

The Company's drilling activities in the South Texas area during 2011 were primarily focused on delineation and development of Pioneer's substantial acreage position in the Eagle Ford Shale play. The Company drilled 94 horizontal Eagle Ford Shale wells during 2011, with average lateral lengths of approximately 5,500 feet and 13-stage fracture stimulations. EFS Midstream LLC (EFS Midstream) is obligated to construct midstream assets in the Eagle Ford Shale area. Eight of the 12 planned central gathering plants (CGPs) were completed as of December 31, 2011.

Barnett Shale

During 2011, the Company continued to increase its acreage position in the liquid-rich Barnett Shale Combo area in North Texas. In total, the Company has accumulated approximately 92,000 gross acres in the liquid-rich area of the field and has acquired approximately 340 square miles o f three dimensional (3-D) seismic covering its acreage. The Company's total lease holdings in the Barnett Shale play now approximate 142,000 gross acres (108,000 net acres). During 2011, the Company had two drilling rigs operating and drilled 44 Barnett Shale Combo wells. The Company also commenced operating a Company-owned fracture stimulation fleet in the area during the second quarter of 2011.

Alaska

The Company owns a 70% working interest and is the operator of the Oooguruk development project. The Company has drilled 12 production wells and eight injection wells of the estimated 17 production and 16 injection wells planned to develop this project.

International

During 2011, the Company's international operations were located in Tunisia and offshore South Africa. During February 2011, ! the Compa! ny completed the sale of the Company's share holdings in Pioneer Tunisia to an unaffiliated third party.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  In September I took a deep look at the valuation of Pioneer Natural Resources' (NYSE: PXD  ) stock. I reviewed its valuation relative to its peers, as well as the company's own historical average valuation, and I came to the following conclusion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  According to ConocoPhillips (COP), 80% of U.S. shale oil could be produced profitably at oil prices around $40-80 while the CEO of Occidental Petroleum (OXY) has stated that much of oil production in the U.S. is viable at $753. Some companies such as Anadarko Petroleum (APC) have emphasized that recent developments in the commodity markets were not going to have much impact on its exploration plans. Others such as Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) have stated that the company could increase production by 16%- 21% through 2016 at oil prices in the range of $70-80 while EOG Resources (EOG) has maintained that it was going to post strong double-digit gains in oil production going forward despite the low price environment. Meanwhile, Chesapeake Energy (CHK) raised its production guidance for this year and noted that despite lower oil prices, declining production costs have enabled it to raise its production this year.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-gas-stocks-to-own-right-now-4.html

Hot Food Stocks For 2015

Hot Food Stocks For 2015: Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (SFM)

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (Sprouts), incorporated on January 27, 2011, is a specialty retailer of natural and organic food focusing on health and wellness. The Company offers fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, grocery, meat and seafood, bakery, dairy, frozen foods, body care and natural household items. The Companys product offerings focus on fresh, natural and organic foods. Natural foods can be defined as foods that are minimally processed and are free of synthetic preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and other additives, growth hormones, antibiotics, hydrogenated oils, stabilizers and emulsifiers. The Company categorize the over 7,000 range of products, it sells as perishable and non-perishable. Perishable product categories include produce, meat, seafood, deli and bakery. Non-perishable product categories include grocery, vitamins and supplements, bulk items, dairy and dairy alternatives, frozen foods, beer and wine, and natural health and body care.

The cornerstones of the Companys business are fresh, natural and organic products. As of July 19, 2013, the Company opened 87 new stores while rebranding 43 Henrys and 39 Sunflower stores to the Sprouts banner. The Companys stores include Produce, Bulk Items, Vitamins and Supplements, Grocery, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Bakery, Dairy and Dairy Alternatives, Frozen Foods, Beer and Wine and Natural Health and Body Care.The Company offer its customers a farmers market open-feel environment consisting of an abundant and affordable offering of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, focused on appearance, flavor and value. The Companys stores include a crafted selection of more than 450 ranges of scoopable nuts, fruits, trail mixes, grains, beans, cereals, coffee, tea, spices, candy and snacks featured in the center of the store. The Companys stores feature more than 4,200 vitamins, supplements, natural remedies, functional food, lifestyl e sup! port, and herbal supplements. This department includes ! an extensive private label offering.

The Companys grocery offering focuses on healthy options. The Company carries approximately 4,200 natural and organic products in its grocery aisles, including meal components, natural sodas and other beverages, snacks and bars, baking goods, baby, pet and household items such as detergent and paper towels, and earth-friendly mercantile items. The Companys Olde Tyme Butcher Shops combine sourcing through its trusted supplier network, product variety and old-fashioned customer service. The Company offers a range of seafood favorites delivered up to six days a week. The Conpany feature a range of fresh deli specialties, including sliced deli meat, salads, dips, entrees, side dishes, fresh made to order sandwiches at value prices and an abundant selection of over 200 varieties of cheeses from around the world.

The Company bakery offering includes artisan bread alongside a wide assortment of sandwich breads , rolls, tortillas, pitas, muffins, cookies and pies as well as sugar free, gluten free and low carbohydrate products. The Companys dairy department features a selection of organic, natural and regionally sourced milk, yogurt (including Greek, Australian, organic, and soy-based), butter and eggs, as well as a full selection of vegan and vegetarian alternative dairy products. The Companys freezer cases feature traditional and ethnic natural and organic entrees and side dishes, along with frozen vegetables, desserts and specialty items, such as gluten-free breads and non-dairy ice creams. The Company offers approximately 2,400 natural, cruelty-free health and beauty products, old-fashioned remedies and modern body care innovations, including facial care products and make up, skin, hair, dental, baby care and grooming products.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Jarzemsky var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  Its a! lso an ac! tive period for sales of stock in already-public companies. Among other deals, Apollo Global Management LLC(APO) and other insiders in Sprouts Farmers Market Inc.(SFM) are offering 15 million sharesa roughly $511 million stakein the grocer late Thursday.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Before you consider this just to be a bit of IPO pondering, take a step back and understand that some of this list membership already hasfiled to come public or actually hasmade it public recently. Boise Cascade Co. (NYSE: BCC), CDW Corp. (NASDAQ: CDW), Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY), Global Brass and Copper Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BRSS), Noodles & Company (NASDAQ: NDLS), Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RH), Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ: SFM) and many others are on the list and have made it to the post-IPO stage in the stock market.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  With shares of Sprouts Farmers Markets Inc.(SFM) having more than doubled in price in just four months since their $383 million initial public offering, a group of its financial backers led by Apollo Global Management LLC(APO) are cashing out with an offering of more than double that size.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-food-stocks-for-2015-3.html

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Buy Right Now

BlackBerry�� surprise announcement about exploring options like finding a buyer or forming a joint venture has one deeply ominous implication. Since it happened just 6 weeks after the supposed mass market model Q5 debuted in Europe and Africa, it implies that the Q5 has been another disappointment. This is a very serious matter indeed, since the more expensive Z10 and Q10 sales disappointed during May quarter. BlackBerry has clearly been unable to find its footing in the rapidly evolving smartphone pricing environment, clinging to its premium heritage far too long. But the company still has one ace in the hole ��and on that card rides the entire M&A dream.

The one real asset BlackBerry still possesses is the BlackBerry Messenger, which became a crucially important messaging tool in a variety of emerging markets ranging from Nigeria to Indonesia. BlackBerry has enjoyed the benefits of a powerful network effect in these markets. It still held more than 50% of Nigeria�� smartphone market in 2012 and was the leading smartphone brand in Indonesia with a whopping 12 million users last winter. This is BlackBerry�� secret weapon: it is better to have massive market share in 5-6 substantial phone markets than have a diluted market share among 50 countries. In countries where its smartphone share has been high, BlackBerry Messenger has been a key messaging system, knitting together the most affluent consumers and forcing upper middle classes to join the bandwagon to become part of the club.

Best New Companies For 2015: Worlds Inc (WDDD.OB)

Worlds Inc., (Worlds.com), incorporated on April 26, 1994, was a three-dimensional (3D) entertainment portal, which leveraged its technology, which the Company retained through its portfolio, to offer visitors a network of virtual, multi-user environments which the Company calls worlds. On May 16, 2011, the Company transferred, through a spin-off to its wholly owned subsidiary, Worlds Online Inc., the majority of its operations and related operational assets. The Company designs and develops software, content and related technology for the creation of interactive, three-dimensional (3D) Internet Web sites. The Company used its technology to produce three-dimensional portals and Web sites. The Company's core technology includes WorldsShaper, WorldsServer, WorldsBrowser, WorldsPlayer and Worlds Gamma Libraries.

WorldsShaper is the visual authoring component of the Company's platform. It allows for quick assembly of pieces to create multi-user, shared state, virtual worlds. The WorldsShaper is an advanced compositing 3D building tool that integrates pre-existing or custom content, such as 3D models, textures or images created in Adobe's Photoshop, or midi or wave sound files, with architectural geometry and interactive behaviors and actions written in Java. WorldsServer is the scalable software that the Company uses to control and operates its on-line virtual communities. WorldsServer manages the registration and authentication of users, the locations of users within the 3D environment, the physical structure of the 3D environment, all information regarding objects that are shared by the participants and any of the interactions between the users such as text chat. This platform also integrates an HTTP server for the delivery of other content such as audio and video streaming and secure e-commerce applications.

WorldsBrowser is used to access the 3D environments. The browser is optimized for speed, delivering relatively fast frame rates per second in textured virtual 3D worlds. T! he WorldsPlayer allows users to view and experience the Company's multi-user, interactive technology. Any world created with the WorldsShaper will be viewable and navigable with the WorldsPlayer. The Worlds Gamma Libraries are consists of sample worlds, textures, models, avatars, actions, sensors, sounds, motion sequences, and other behaviors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markman Advisors]

  Public companies leveraging their patent portfolios, (aka "patent plays"), are getting the market's attention. Companies such as Vringo (VRNG), ParkerVision (PRKR), MGT Capital (MGT), Worlds Inc. (WDDD.OB) and others have presented trading opportunities due to their volatility while retaining the chance for a big payoff to those investors who stay the course. Yet there exist viable patent plays that are still undiscovered. Some of these so called "plays," which are not getting enough attention, are actually real companies making and selling real products or services in contrast to pure patent monetization companies. Some known examples are Single Touch Interactive (SITO.OB) and Blue Calypso (BCYP.OB). This article is focused on another one of these patent plays, On Track Innovations Ltd. (OTIV).

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Buy Right Now: Pebblebrook Hotel Trust(PEB)

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, through Pebblebrook Hotel, L.P., operates as a real estate investment trust. The company acquires and invests primarily in hotel properties located in the United States. It holds interests in the Doubletree Bethesda Hotel and Executive Meeting Center located in Bethesda, Maryland; Sir Francis Drake Hotel located in San Francisco, California; and InterContinental Buckhead Hotel located in Atlanta, Georgia. As a REIT, the company is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 2009 and is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  In a perfect world, an investor could simply look at a company's history and its plausible earnings forecasts, and jump in (or out) knowing the stock's current price basically made sense with respect to past and future performance. We don't live or trade in a perfect world though. In the world we're actually in right now, most stocks, sectors, and industries have run up far beyond a justifiable value... perhaps except for hotel and lodging REIT stocks Host Hotels and Resorts Inc. (NYSE:HST), Strategic Hotels and Resorts Inc. (NYSE:BEE), and Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB).

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Buy Right Now: Hudson City Bancorp Inc.(HCBK)

Hudson City Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Hudson City Savings Bank that provides a range of retail banking services. It offers a range of deposit accounts, including passbook and statement savings accounts, interest-bearing transaction accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, and time deposits, as well as IRA accounts and qualified retirement plans. The company?s loan portfolio primarily comprises one-to four-family first mortgage loans for residential properties; multi-family and commercial mortgage loans; construction loans; and consumer loans, such as fixed-rate second mortgage loans and home equity credit line loans, as well as collateralized passbook loans, overdraft protection loans, automobile loans, and secured and unsecured commercial lines of credit. As of December 31, 2009, it operated 95 branches located in 17 counties throughout the State of New Jersey; 10 branch offices in Westchester County, 9 branch offices in Suffolk Cou nty, 1 branch office each in Putnam and Rockland Counties, and 6 branch offices in Richmond County; and 9 branch offices in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The company was founded in 1868 and is based in Paramus, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Beyond the Dow, Hudson City Bancorp (NASDAQ: HCBK  ) has dropped more than 5% after the bank and its proposed acquirer, M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB  ) , said there would be a delay in completing their merger. M&T, which has slipped almost 4%, cited regulatory concerns from the Federal Reserve over its bank secrecy and anti-money-laundering programs. Despite the two banks' plan to extend their agreement until the end of January 2014, they aren't sure the merger will be complete even by then. Shareholders will still vote on the deal later this month, but the delay has to be disconcerting for investors on both sides.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

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

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Buy Right Now: Ryland Group Inc (RYL)

The Ryland Group, Inc., incorporated on March 28, 1967, is a homebuilders and a mortgage-finance company. In addition, Ryland Mortgage Company and its subsidiaries, and RMC Mortgage Corporation (collectively referred to as RMC) provide mortgage financing and related services. All of the Company's business is conducted and located in the United States. The Company's operations span aspects of the home buying process from design, construction and sale to mortgage origination, title insurance, escrow and insurance services. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the homebuilding operations were consisted of approximately 97% of consolidated revenues. The homebuilding segments generate their revenues from sales of completed homes, with sales of land and lots. The Company builds homes for entry-level buyers, as well as for first- and second-time move-up buyers. In July 2012, the Company acquired Charlotte and Raleigh operations and assets of Timberstone Homes. In December 2012, the Company acquired Phoenix operations and assets of Trend Homes. In June 2013, Ryland Group Inc acquired LionsGate Homes Corp. Effective July 19, 2013, Ryland Group Inc acquired Cornell Homes, a media-based construction company.

Homebuilding

The Company's homes are built on-site and marketed in four geographic regions or segments: North, Southeast, Texas and West. Its North segment includes Baltimore, Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Its Southeast include Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Orlando and Tampa. Texas includes Austin, Houston and San Antonio. West includes Denver, Las Vegas and Southern California. During 2012, within each of those segments, the Company operated in the metropolitan areas of North, Southeast, Texas and West. Each of its homebuilding divisions across the country consists of a division president; a controller; management personnel focused on land entitlement, acquisition and development, sales, construction, customer service and purchasin! g, and accounting and administrative personnel. The Company markets attached and detached single-family homes. In the Company's single-family detached home communities, it offers at least four different floor plans. The Company's attached home communities offer different floor plans with two, three or four bedrooms. The Company relies on its own architectural staff and also engages unaffiliated architectural firms to develop new designs. Homebuyers are able to customize certain features of their homes by selecting from options and upgrades displayed in the Company's model homes and design centers. In all of the Company's communities, a range of options is available to homebuyers for additional charges. The number and complexity of options increase with the size and base selling price of the home. During 2012, custom options contributed 16.9% of homebuilding revenues.

The Company's financial services segment provides mortgage-related products and services, as well as title, escrow and insurance services, to its homebuyers. The Company's financial services segment includes RMC, RH Insurance Company, Inc. (RHIC), LPS Holdings Corporation and its subsidiaries (LPS), and Columbia National Risk Retention Group, Inc. (CNRRG). By aligning its operations with the Company's homebuilding segments, the financial services segment leverages this relationship to offer its lending services to homebuyers.

During 2012, RMC's mortgage origination operations consisted of the Company's homebuilder loans, which were originated in connection with sales of the Company's homes. During 2012, mortgage operations originated 3,039 loans, which used for purchasing homes built by the Company and for purchasing homes built by others, purchasing existing homes or refinancing existing mortgage loans. RMC arranges various types of mortgage financing, including conventional, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Administration (VA) mortgages, with various fixed- and adjustable-rate features. The Compa! ny sells ! the loans it originates, along with the related servicing rights, to others. Cornerstone Title Company, doing business as Ryland Title Company, is a 100 % subsidiary of RMC, provides escrow and title services and acts as a title insurance agent primarily for the Company's homebuyers. As of December 31, 2012, it provided title services in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Texas and Virginia. Ryland Insurance Services (RIS), a 100 % owned subsidiary of RMC, provides insurance services to the Company's homebuyers. As of December 31, 2012, RIS was licensed to operate in all of the states in which the Company's homebuilding segments operate. During 2012, it provided insurance services to 41.5 % of the Company's homebuyers. CNRRG, a 100 %-owned subsidiary of the Company and some of its affiliates, offer insurance, specifically structural warranty coverage, to protect homeowners against liability risks arising in connection with the homebuilding business of the Company and its affiliates.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Alamy You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From the world's largest consumer tech company posting its iEarnings to a pivotal end to the trading month, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Growing Apples: Lately, Apple (AAPL) hasn't been the growth stock darling that it was through most of the past decade, but it seems to be turning the corner. Apple is expected to post growth in revenue and earnings when it reports fiscal first quarter results on Monday afternoon. It's not likely to be much. Analysts see revenue and earnings per share climbing by no more than 5 percent over last year's holiday quarter. That may seem low given the success of the iPhone 5S and iPad Air that hit the market late last year. However, it's been hard to overcome the slide in Mac and iPod sales. Tuesday -- Comcast Stems the Bleeding: Another company showing renewed signs of life is Comcast (CMCSK). The country's largest cable provider hasn't had a problem growing its Internet and broadband phone services, but it's been struggling since 2007 to keep its pay TV customers around. Comcast finally surprised investors earlier this month by announcing that it closed out the fourth quarter with more subscribers than it had three months earlier. This is the first time that Comcast has posted a sequential increase in video customers after 26 quarters of declines. Comcast reports on Tuesday. Hopefully it will shed some light on this welcome development, letting us know if the cord cutter fears are in the past. Wednesday -- Are We Friends Again: It will be Facebook (FB) hoping that the market clicks "Like" on the leading social networking website's quarterly financials on Wednesday. Facebook had a rocky start as a public company two years ago, going public at $38 and falling into the teens several months later. However, explosive top- and bottom-l

• [By Louis Navellier]

  If we look at those stocks trading with single-digit P/E ratios right now, it becomes a very simple task to separate the wheat from the chaff. There are many well-known stocks trading at low P/E ratios that get horrible grades from our system and should be avoided:

  Ryland Homes (RYL) is a name you might hear discussed as a bargain, but the stock to a Sell back in November to a ����and is best avoided. Standard Pacific (SPF) is another builder you should probably avoid as In spite of the low P/E ratio ,you probably want to avoid discount retailer Big Lots (BIG), as a Strong Sell this week.

  But fear not — there are some great companies with solid fundamentals that earn a Buy ranking from Portfolio Grader and are better candidates for a low-P/E portfolio.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Homebuilding stocks have plunged on the news. The Ryland Group (RYL) has fallen 4.6% to $35.15, Toll Brothers (TOL) has dropped 3.1% to $31.45, KB Home (KBH) has declined 3.1% to $16.67 and DR Horton (DHI) is off 2.8% at $18.74. Pulte Group (PHM) has dropped 2.7% at $15.80.

Best High Tech Companies To Buy For 2015

Best High Tech Companies To Buy For 2015: Otter Tail Corporation(OTTR)

Otter Tail Corporation engages in electric and nonelectric operations in the United States and internationally. It operates in six segments: Electric, Plastics, Manufacturing, Health Services, Food Ingredient Processing, and Other Business Operations. The Electric segment includes the production, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy through coal, wind, hydro, natural gas, and oil in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. As of December 31, 2009, it provided electricity to approximately 130,900 customers, including residential, industrial, commercial, and other customers. This segment also operates as a wholesale participant in the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator markets. The Plastics segment involves in producing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. The Manufacturing segment engages in the production of wind towers; contract machining; metal parts stamping and fabrication; production of waterfront equipment; and material and handling tray s, and horticultural containers. The Health Services segment sells diagnostic medical equipment, patient monitoring equipment, and related supplies and accessories. This segment also provides equipment maintenance service and diagnostic imaging services; and involves in the rental of diagnostic medical imaging equipment to various medical institutions. The Food Ingredient Processing segment produces dehydrated potato products. The Other Business Operations segment engages in residential, commercial, and industrial electric contracting; fiber optic and electric distribution systems; water, wastewater, and HVAC systems construction; and transportation and energy services businesses. The company was formerly known as Otter Tail Holding Company and changed its name to Otter Tail Corporation in 2001. Otter Tail Corporation was founded in 1907 and is based in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Richard Stavros] In examining the top two stock sellers and top two stock buyers listed above, we illustrate how these companies are managing their efforts to return cash to shareholders (See Chart C). The chart clearly shows that those firms that were making stock buybacks had better shareholder yields than those that were making stock issuances, namely Otter Tail Corp (NYSE: OTTR) and The AES Corp (NYSE: AES).

• [By Dividend]

  Otter Tail (OTTR) has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion. The company employs 2,286 people, generates revenue of $859.24 million and has a net income of $38.97 million. Otter Tails earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $142.22 million. The EBITDA margin is 16.55 percent (the operating margin is 8.02 percent and the net profit margin 4.54 percent).

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Electric utility holding company Otter Tail (OTTR) raised its quarterly dividend 1.6% to 30.25 cents per share, payable on Mar. 10 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14.
  OTTR Dividend Yield: 4.47%

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/best-high-tech-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2015

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2015: Liberte Investors Inc. (FAC)

First Acceptance Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in retailing, servicing, and underwriting non-standard personal automobile insurance and related products. Its primary business involves issuing automobile insurance policies to individuals who are categorized as non-standard based primarily on their inability or unwillingness to obtain insurance coverage from standard carriers due to various factors, including their payment history or need for monthly payment plans, and failure to maintain continuous insurance coverage or driving record. The company also offers optional products that provide ancillary reimbursements and benefits in the event of an automobile accident; and underwrites a tenant homeowner policy that provides contents and liability coverage to renters. In addition, it engages in activities related to the disposition of real estate held for sale. The company distributes its products through retail locations. As of March 31, 2012, it leased and op erated 378 retail locations. First Acceptance Corporation was founded in 1969 and is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Auto sales continue to rise and that is good news for small cap auto insurers Infinity Property and Casualty Corp (NASDAQ: IPCC), First Acceptance Corporation (NYSE: FAC) and Atlas Financial Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: AFH) which are focused on niche auto insurance markets. A Yahoo! Autos blog post recently noted that in August, automakers sold 1.5 million new vehicles for the highest rate in years. Moreover, most industry forecasters expect sales to return to the level they hit before the 2008 recession of 16 million vehicles a year. The blog post then went on to note the three forces driving auto sales:

source from To! p Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-warren-buffett-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-4.html

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Bhp Billiton PLC (BBL)

BHP Billiton plc, incorporated in 1996, is diversified natural resources company. The Company generally operates through customer sector groups (CSGs). The Company operates in nine segments: Petroleum, Aluminium, Base Metals, Diamonds and Specialty Products, Stainless Steel Materials, Iron Ore, Manganese, Metallurgical Coal and Energy Coal. As of June 30, 2012, the Company was working in more than 100 locations worldwide. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company total petroleum production was 222.3 millions of barrels of oil equivalent. During fiscal 2012, its aluminium had a total production in 1.2 million tones (Mt) of aluminium. In August 2011, the Company acquired Petrohawk Energy Corporation. On September 30, 2011, it acquired HWE Mining Subsidiaries from Leighton Holdings. On September 7, 2012, the Company announced the sale of its 37.8 % non-operated interest in Richards Bay Minerals.

Petroleum Customer Sector Group

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The Companys petroleum customer sector group (CSG) consists of a base of onshore and offshore operations that are located in six countries throughout the world. The Companys production operations include Bass Strait, North West Shelf, Australia operated, Gulf of Mexico, Onshore United States, Liverpool Bay and Bruce/Keith, Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago and Zamzama. Together with its 50-50 joint venture Esso Australia (a subsidiary of ExxonMobil), the Company has been producing oil and gas from Bass Strait, off the south-eastern coast of Australia. The Company dispatches the majority of its Bass Strait crude oil and condensate production to refineries along the east coast of Australia. Gas is piped onshore to its Longford processing facility, from which it sells the Companys production to domestic distributors under contracts with periodic price reviews.

The Company is a joint venture participant in the North West Shelf Project in W! estern Australia. The North West Shelf Project was developed in phases the domestic gas phase supplies gas to the Western Australian domestic market mainly under long-term contracts, and a series of liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion phases supplying LNG to buyers in Japan, Korea and China under a series of long-term contracts. The project also produces liquefied petroleum gas LPG and condensate. The Company is also a joint venture participant in four nearby oil fields. Both the North West Shelf gas and oil ventures are operated by Woodside.

The Company operates two oil fields offshore Western Australia and one gas field in Victoria. The Pyrenees oil development consists of three fields, two of which (Crosby and Stickle) are located in blocks WA-42-L, while the third (Ravensworth) straddles blocks WA-42-L and WA-43-L. The project uses a FPSO facility. The Stybarrow operation is an oil development located offshore Western Australia. The Minerva operation is a gas field located offshore Victoria. The operation consists of two subsea producing wells which pipe gas onshore to a processing plant. The gas is delivered into a pipeline and sold domestically.

The Company operates two fields in the Gulf of Mexico (Neptune and Shenzi) and hold non-operating interests in a further three fields (Atlantis, Mad Dog and Genesis). The Company divested its interest in the West Cameron and Starlifter areas in June 2012. The Company delivers its oil production to refineries along the Gulf Coast of the United States. The Company operates in four shale fields located onshore in the United States Fayetteville, Eagle Ford, Haynesville and Permian. The combined leasehold acreage of the Onshore United States fields is approximately 1.6 million net acres in the states of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Its ownership interests range from less than 1% to 100%. During fiscal 2012, the Onshore United States business delivered 6.9 million barrels of crude oil and c ondensates, 448 billion cubic feet of! natural ! gas and four million barrels of natural gas liquids.

The Liverpool Bay, United Kingdom, integrated development consists of five producing offshore gas and oil fields in the Irish Sea, the Point of Ayr onshore processing plant in north Wales and associated infrastructure. The Company delivers the Liverpool Bay gas by pipeline to E.ONs Connahs Quay power station. The Company owns 46.1% of and operates Liverpool Bay. It also holds a 16% non-operating interest in the Bruce oil and gas field in the North Sea and operates the Keith field, a subsea tie-back, which is processed via the Bruce platform facilities.

The Companys Algerian operations consists its 38% interest in the ROD Integrated Development, which consists of six satellite oil fields that pump oil back to a dedicated processing train. The Company exited its effective 45 % interest in the Ohanet wet gas development in October 2011. The Gre ater Angostura project is integrated oil and gas development located offshore east Trinidad. The Company operates the field and has a 45% interest in the production sharing contract for the project. The Company holds a 38.5 % working interest in and operates the Zamzama gas project in Sindh province of Pakistan. Both gas and condensate are sold domestically.

Aluminium Customer Sector Group

The Companys Aluminium customer sector groups (CSG) is a portfolio of assets at three stages of the aluminium value chain, such as mining bauxite, refining bauxite into alumina, and smelting alumina into aluminium metal. The Company also produced 12.8 metric ton of bauxite and 4.2 metric ton of alumina. Its Boddington/Worsley is an integrated bauxite mining/alumina refining operation. The Boddington bauxite mine in Western Australia supplies bauxite ore to the Worsley alumina refinery via a 62-kilometre long conveying system. It is the Companys sole integra ted bauxite mining/alumina refining asset. The Company owns 14.8 % of Mineracao Rio do Norte (MRN), which owns and op! erates a ! large bauxite mine in Brazil.

The Company's Alumar is an integrated alumina refinery/aluminium smelter. The Company owns 36 % of the Alumar refinery and 40 % of the smelter. Alcoa operates both facilities. The operations, and their integrated port facility, are located at Sao Luis in the Maranhao province of Brazil. Alumar sources bauxite from MRN. During fiscal 2012, approximately 27 % of Alumars alumina production was used to feed the smelter, while the remainder was exported. Its Hillside and Bayside smelters are located at Richards Bay, South Africa. It has a capacity of approximately 715 kilotons per annum. Hillside imports alumina from its Worsley refinery. The Company owns 47.1 % of and operates the Mozal aluminium smelter in Mozambique, which has a total capacity of approximately 563 kilotons per annum. Mozal sources powe r generated by Hydro Cahora Basa via Motraco, a transmission joint venture between Eskom and the national electricity utilities of Mozambique and Swaziland.

Base Metals Customer Sector Group

The Companys Base Metals CSG is producers of copper, silver, lead and uranium, and a producer of zinc. Its portfolio of mining operations includes the Escondida mine in Chile and Olympic Dam in South Australia. Its total copper production during fiscal 2012, was 1.1 metric ton. In addition to conventional mine development, it pursue advanced treatment technologies, such as leaching low-grade chalcopyrite ores. The Company markets five primary products, such as copper concentrates, copper cathodes, uranium oxide, lead concentrates and zinc concentrates.

The Company has 57.5% interest owned and operated Escondida mine. During fiscal 2012, its share of Escondida production was 333.8 kiloton of payable copper in concentrate and 172.0 kiloton of copp er cathode. Its Olympic Dam is a producer of copper cathode and uranium oxide and a refiner of smaller amounts of gold and silver bullion. The Company owns 33.75 % of Antamina copper/zinc mine i! n Peru. T! he Companys wholly owned Spence copper mine produces copper cathode. During fiscal 2012, the Company produced 180.3 kiloton of copper cathode. The Company also has interest in Pampa Norte Cerro Colorado Operation, Cannington and North America-Pinto Valley.

Diamonds and Specialty Products Customer Sector Group

The Companys diamonds and specialty products CSG operate its diamonds business and engage in the exploration and development of a potash business. Its diamonds business is consists of the EKATI Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The Companys interest in EKATI consists of an 80%t interest in the Core Zone Joint Venture, consisting existing operations and a 58.8 % interest in the Buffer Zone Joint Venture, primarily focu sing on exploration targets. The Company sells its rough diamonds to international diamond buyers through its Antwerp sales office.

Stainless Steel Materials Customer Sector Group

The Companys Stainless Steel Materials CSG is primarily a supplier of nickel to the stainless steel industry. The Company also supplies nickel to other markets, including the specialty alloy, foundry, chemicals and refractory material industries. The Companys nickel business consists of two assets, including Nickel West and Cerro Matoso. Nickel West is the name for its wholly owned Western Australian nickel Asset, which consists of an integrated system of mines, concentrators, a smelter and a refinery. The Company mine nickel-bearing sulphide ore at its Mt Keith, Leinster and Cliffs Operations north of Kalgoorlie. The Company operates concentrator plants at Mt Keith and at Leinster, which also concentrate ore from Cliffs. The Company also operates the Kambalda conce ntrator south of Kalgoorlie, where it source ore through tolling and concentrate purchase arrangements with third parties in the Kambalda region. The Companys Cerro Matoso is its 99.94 % owned nickel Asset in Colombia, combines a lateritic nickel ore deposit with a ferronic! kel smelt! er. Production in during fiscal 2012, was 48.9 kiloton of nickel in ferronickel form.

Iron Ore Customer Sector Group

The Companys Iron Ore CSG consists of its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) interests and a 50 % interest in the Samarco Joint Venture in Brazil. The Company sells lump and fines product produced in Australia and pellets from its operations in Brazil. WAIOs operations involve integrated system of mines and more than 1,000 kilometers of rail infrastructure and port facilities in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. WAIO operations consist of three joint ventures, such as Mt Newman, Yandi and Mt Goldsworthy and Jimblebar. The Company is a joint venture partner with Vale at the Samarco Operation in Brazil. Samarco consists of a mine and two concentrators located in the State of Minas Gerais, and three pellet plants and a port located in the State of Espirito Sant.

Manganese Customer Sector Group

The Companys Manganese CSG produces a combination of ores and alloys from sites in South Africa and Australia. Aproximately 80 % of its ore production is sold directly to external customers and the remainder is used as feedstock in its alloy smelters. The Company owns and manages all manganese mining operations and alloy plants through joint ventures with Anglo American. Its joint venture interests are held through Samancor Manganese, which operates its global Manganese assets. In South Africa, Samancor Manganese (Pty) Ltd owns 74 % of Hotazel Manganese Mines (Pty) Ltd (HMM) and 100 % of the Metalloys division. In Australia, it owns 60 % of Groote Eylandt Mining Company Pty Ltd (GEMCO) a nd has an effective interest of 60 % in Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Company Pty Ltd (TEMCO) through GEMCO, which owns 100 % of TEMCO.

Metallurgical Coal Customer Sector Group

The Companys Metallurgical Coal CSG is a supplier of seaborne metallurgical coal. Metallurgical coal, along with iron ore and manganese, is a key ! input in ! the production of steel. The Companys export customers are steel producers around the world. The Company has assets in two resource basins, such as the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland, Australia, and the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia.

The Bowen Basin is well positioned to supply the seaborne market. The Company also has access to key infrastructure, including a modern, integrated electric rail network and its own coal loading terminal at Hay Point, Mackay. The Company owns and operates three underground coal mines in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, which supply metallurgical coal to the nearby BlueScope Port Kembla steelworks, and other domestic and export markets. Total production in during fiscal 2012, was approximately 7.9 metric ton.

Energy Coal Customer Sector Group

The Companys Energy Coal CSG is a producers and marketers of export energy coal (also known as thermal or steaming coal) and is also a domestic supplier to the electricity generation industry in Australia, South Africa and the United States. The Company makes export sales to power generators and some industrial users in Asia, Europe and the United States, usually under contracts for delivery of a fixed volume of coal. The Company operates three assets, including a group of mines and associated infrastructure collectively known as BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa; its New Mexico Coal operations in the United States; and its New South Wales Energy Coal operations in Australia. The Company also owns a 33.33 % share of the Cerrejon Coal Company, wh ich operates a coal mine in Colombia.

BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa (BECSA) operates four coal mines being Khutala, Klipspruit, Middelburg and Wolvekrans in the Witbank region of Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The Company owns and operates the Navajo mine, located on Navajo Nation land in New Mexico, and the nearby San Juan mine located in the state of New Mexico. Each mine transports its produc! tion dire! ctly to a nearby power station. New South Wales Energy Coals operating asset is the Mt Arthur Coal open-cut mine in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, which produced approximately 17 metric ton during fiscal 2012. The Company has a one-third interest in Cerrejon Coal Company, which owns and operates open-cut export coal mines in La Guajira province of Colombia, as well as integrated rail and port facilities through which the majority of production is exported to European, Middle Eastern, North American and Asian customers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Harvey Jones]

  LONDON --Investors in mining companyBHP Billiton (LSE: BLT  ) (NYSE: BBL  ) have had a rocky time lately.

  Its share price is down 15% over three months, 20% over two years (against a 10% rise for the FTSE 100) and is flat over five years.

• [By GuruFocus]

  This screen generates 37 stocks in the U.S. market as of today. The largest companies among the list are BHP Billiton (BHP) (BBL), Intel (INTC), China Petroleum & Chemical (SNP) and Royal Bank of Canada (RY).

• [By Roland Head]

  Today, I'm going to take a look at global mining giantBHP Billiton (LSE: BLT  ) (NYSE: BBL  ) and its much smaller, US-based peerCliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF  ) , which is the largest producer of iron ore in the U.S. and has an Australian mine that exports iron ore to China, in competition with BHP.

• [By Alex Planes]

  Billiton's beginnings
  Tin was first discovered on the Sumatran island of Billiton (Belitung) on June 28, 1851. Nine years later, a company of the same name was formed in the Netherlands to exploit the resource-rich island. For over a century, Billiton dominated the mining industry of the Indonesian archipelago, and eventually would expand its reach and business range throughout the world. Billitonmerged with Australian metals leader BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary) in 2001 to form ! BHP Billi! ton (NYSE: BHP  ) (NYSE: BBL  ) , which is now the largest mining company in the world.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-10-diversified-bank-stocks-to-watch-right-now-6.html