Top 5 Gas Utility Companies To Own For 2016

Top 5 Gas Utility Companies To Own For 2016: Genesis Energy LP (GEL)

Genesis Energy, L.P. (Genesis) is a limited partnership focused on the midstream segment of the oil and gas industry in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, primarily Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. The Company has a portfolio of customers, operations and assets, including pipelines, refinery-related plants, storage tanks and terminals, barges and trucks. Genesis provides an integrated range of services to refineries, oil, natural gas and carbon dioxide (CO2) producers, industrial and commercial enterprises that use sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) and caustic soda, and businesses that use CO2 and other industrial gases. The Company operates in three segments: Pipeline Transportation, Refinery Services, and Supply and Logistics. In August 2011, the Company acquired black oil barge transportation business of Florida Marine Transporters, Inc. In November 2011, it acquired a 90% interest in a 3,500 barrel per day refinery located in Converse County, Wyoming, including 300 miles of abandoned 3- 6 pipeline. On January 3, 2012, it acquired interests in several Gulf of Mexico crude oil pipeline systems, including its 28% interest in the Poseidon pipeline system, its 29% interest in the Odyssey pipeline system, and its 23% interest in the Eugene Island pipeline system. In August 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of all the assets of the downstream transportation business of Hornbeck Offshore Transportation, LLC (Hornbeck).

Pipeline Transportation

The Company transports crude oil and carbon dioxide (CO2) for others for a fee in the Gulf Coast region of the United States through approximately 550 miles of pipeline. Its Pipeline Transportation segment owns and operates three crude oil common carrier pipelines and two CO2 pipelines. Its 235-mile Mississippi System provides shippers of crude oil in Mississippi indirect acces! s to refineries, pipe lines, storage terminals and other crude oil infrastructure located in the Midwest. Its 100-mile Jay System originates in southern Alabama and the panhandle of Florida and provides crude oil shippers access to refineries, pipelines and storage near Mobile, Alabama. The Companys 90-mile Texas System transports crude oil from West Columbia to several delivery points near Houston. Its crude oil pipeline systems include access to a total of approximately 0.7 million barrels of crude oil storage.

The Companys Free State Pipeline is an 86-mile, 20 CO2 pipelines that extends from CO2 source fields near Jackson, Mississippi, to oil fields in eastern Mississippi. It has a twenty-year transportation services agreement (through 2028) related to the transportation of CO2 on its Free State Pipeline.

Refinery Services

Genesis provides services to eight refining operations located in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, which operates storage and tran sportation assets in relation to its business and sell NaHS and caustic soda to industrial and commercial companies. The refinery services involve processing refiners sulfur (sour) gas streams to remove the sulfur. The refinery services also include terminals and it utilizes railcars, ships, barges and trucks to transport product. Its contracts are long-term in nature and have an average remaining term of four years.

Supply and Logistics

The Company provides services to Gulf Coast oil and gas producers and refineries through a combination of purchasing, transporting, storing, blending and marketing of crude oil and refined products, primarily fuel oil. It has access to a range of more than 250 trucks, 350 trailers and 50 barges with 1.5 million barrels of terminal storage capacity in multiple locations along the Gulf Coast, as well as capacity associated with its three common carrier crude oil pipelines.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  Distributions are i! ncredibly! important to master limited partnerships -- they are the reason many investors buy in, and ultimately what drive the market performance for this asset class. As news of distribution increases trickle in for the third quarter, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy takes a look at the payouts from Genesis Energy (NYSE: GEL  ) , Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE: PAA  ) , and Memorial Production Partners (NASDAQ: MEMP  ) , as all three MLPs are leading the way with the biggest distribution increases.

• [By Richard Stavros]

  The good news is that midstream MLPs are already part of the crude-by-rail story and will likely be part of the growing gas-by-rail story. Indeed, there are numerous names in the MLP space with at least some exposure to the crude-by-rail trend, includingEnterprise Products Partners LP(NYSE: EPD), Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP(NYSE: KMP),Genesis Energy LP(NYSE: GEL), andOiltanking Partners LP(NYSE: OILT),among others. Barclays estimates that MLPs have already invested $2 billion in railroad terminals, including acquisitions.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  This week a few companies answered the call and rewarded their shareholders with higher cash dividends:
  
  Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) engages in regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2.4% to $0.63 per share. The dividend is payable March 15, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 12, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 4.7%.
  
  Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ), a real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, develops, and manages real estate portfolio, as well as performs certain real estate-related services. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 66.7% to $0.075 per share. The dividend is payable February 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.
  
  Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC! ) generat! es and distributes electric energy, as well as distributes natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Utility Energy and Non-Utility Energy. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2% to $0.3900 per share. The dividend is payable March 1, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 14, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 3.8%.
  
  BlackRock Inc. (BLK) is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 14.9% to $1.93 per share. The dividend is payable March 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on March 7, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.4%.
  
  ONEOK Inc. (OKE) operates as a diversified energy company in the United States. January 15th the company increased its quarterly dividend 5.3% to $0.40 per share. The dividend is payable February 18, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.5%.
  
  Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (OHI) is a real es

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-gas-utility-companies-to-own-for-2016.html

5 Best Diversified Bank Stocks To Buy For 2016

5 Best Diversified Bank Stocks To Buy For 2016: LiveDeal Inc.(LIVE)

LiveDeal, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, delivers local customer acquisition services for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides online marketing Internet directory services. The company offers InstantProfile, which distributes small businesses? key contact and service information to Internet destinations, including the search engines, Internet directories, and social media networks that enable advertisers to manage their business information in one location and enhance their reach to various destinations a consumer may search for local business services. It also provides online listing services. The company was formerly known as YP Corp. and changed its name to LiveDeal, Inc. in August 2007. LiveDeal, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Well, I hate to be the one to say I told you so, but, I told you so. Back on December 11th I said it was time to take a swing on LiveDeal Inc. (NASDAQ:LIVE). The company was causing quite a stir within the investment community, and shares of LIVE were getting more and more bullish traction. All told, LiveDeal shares are up 119% since the look I took less than a month ago, coming out of nowhere, and surprising a lot of people.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  To be completely fair, investors and consumers alike may understandably roll their eyes regarding any news from, or about, any online-coupon "daily deals" site. We've been down that road before, with names like Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) and LivingSocial. While both sites were interesting and had their day in the sun, it didn't take long for either to lose their luster. And for GRPN, it didn't take long for its early investors to lose a lot of their money. The daily deals premise never really went away, though. It's just been morphing - and right-sizing - into something that's a win for all the parties! involved. That's why Groupon and LivingSocial are still around, even if they're just limping by... the premise itself basically works. What if, however, there was a daily deals site that wasn't too far down the wrong digital-coupon path? Enter LiveDeal Inc. (NASDAQ:LIVE).

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-diversified-bank-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html

Hot Canadian Companies To Watch In Right Now

Hot Canadian Companies To Watch In Right Now: Windstream Corporation(WIN)

Windstream Corporation provides communications and technology solutions in the United States. The company offers various solutions, including IP-based voice and data services, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networking, data center and managed services, hosting services, and communications systems to businesses and government agencies. It also provides high-speed Internet, voice, and digital television services to residential customers primarily located in rural areas. The company?s data services include data center and managed hosting, MPLS networking, and dedicated access, as well as high-speed Internet to business customers; integrated solutions consist of multiple voice and data services delivered over an IP connection; voice services comprise local and long distance, call waiting, caller identification, and voicemail; and special access services include point-to-point switching arrangements for voice and data traffic. In addition, it provides wholesale services, which primarily include voice and data services on a wholesale basis to other carriers; usage sensitive services to long distance companies; and other local exchange carriers for access to the network in connection with the completion of long-distance calls, as well as reciprocal compensation received from wireless and other local connecting carriers for the use of its facilities. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 3.3 million access lines, 1.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and operated approximately 60,000 fiber route miles. Windstream Corporation is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Windstream Holdings (NASDAQ: WIN  ) pays a tremendously generous dividend. At 12.3%, its yield is in fact the second-highest among the S&P 500's (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC!   ) components.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  After diving into Windstream Holdings' (NASDAQ: WIN  ) updated plans to spin off an asset-heavy real estate investment trust, I received an email from one of my readers. The reader -- let's call her Betty -- was concerned about what might happen to her generous Windstream dividends when the REIT spinoff takes place.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Windstream Holdings (NASDAQ: WIN  ) reported second-quarter results on Thursday morning. The regional telecom and business-focused data services specialist saw sales fall 2% year over year, landing at $1.47 billion. Windstream grew its list of enterprise customers by 3%, while all other divisions reported annual subscriber shrinkage.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-canadian-companies-to-watch-in-right-now-2.html

Hot Electric Utility Stocks For 2015

It's another strong start to a short week for the markets today, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is capitalizing on strong economic data. The blue-chip index has lost some of its earlier chart-breaking gains, but it's still hanging on to of 96 points as of 2:20 p.m. EDT. Only a handful of the Dow's 30 components have missed out on the party, while several have made substantial gains. Let's check out the top movers and stories behind the Dow's rise.

Investors feeling confident again
Optimism's on the rise as consumers increasingly believe in the economy's recovery. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index climbed to a five-year high of 76.2 in May, up greatly from April's 69. The housing recovery has helped the economy's fortunes, as home prices rose nearly 11% year over year in March as measured by S&P and Case-Shiller.

The good feelings have helped UnitedHealth Group's (NYSE: UNH  ) stock gain 2.3% to top the Dow today. Despite the uncertainty over health care reform coming next year, UnitedHealth investors found some stability when the company decided not to immediately participate in California's state insurance exchange next year, joining several other public insurers. It's potentially an opportunity lost for UnitedHealth, but with rising premiums due to Obamacare still a concern, America's largest insurer is playing health care reform safely. However, UnitedHealth's caution could be WellPoint's (NYSE: WLP  ) gain. The country's second-largest insurer is a major player in California's individual-insurance market, and if its biggest public competitor is out of the race for millions of previously uninsured consumers, WellPoint could narrow the market-share gap between it and UnitedHealth.

Top 10 Up And Coming Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Massive Dynamics Inc (MSSD)

Massive Dynamics, Inc., incorporated on March 15, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company is providing services to communication tower operators. On August 20, 2012, Kylemore Corp. (Kylemore) approximately 90% of the Company. On April 16, 2013, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Real-View 3D (RV3D). With the Company's acquisition of the assets of RV3D, the Company is providing engineering and compliance to communications tower operators to three dimension (3D) imaging. RV3D is an image capture product company that has developed and is committed to design, patent, manufacture and market 3D imaging Z-axis capture products for the consumer computer peripherals market.

The Company has developed technology around an imaging technology known as structured light, which allows for the rapid capture and processing of the digital signal capture 3D images of objects or real time 3D video of a desired target. A structured light image is a calibrated grid of lines that is projected on the subject. These projected lines deviate as they fall over the subject. An image of these lines is captured. Real View 3D software can extract Z-axis data from these line deviations and a topographical map is created. To image a complete subject, the subject is rotated 360 degrees for the image and then another 360 degree rotation for capturing the structured light for the Z axis map information. The resulting Z axis map and the image are then fused into a 360 degree renderable image. This image can then be exported into many other formats for viewing. The Company's primary business will be to develop and market 3D scanning, capture, rendering, and printing products to four markets: consumer, commercial, industrial, and medical.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The problem with that, of course, is that competition is beginning to emerge in machine selling, as small companies with names such as ExOne (NASDAQ: XONE  ) and Massive Dynamics (NASDAQOTH: MSSD  ) begin to horn in on the printer biz. Competition will probably arise even faster in the selling of printing composites, as Hewlett-Packard discovered to its detriment, when printer ink cartridge "refillers" began stealing away its lucrative ink business.

Hot Electric Utility Stocks For 2015: NutriSystem Inc(NTRI)

Nutrisystem, Inc. provides weight management products and services in the United States. The company offers nutritionally balanced weight loss programs designed for women, men, and seniors. Its Nutrisystem program consists of approximately 130 portion-controlled items that serve as the foundation of a low Glycemic Index diet. The company?s programs include Nutrisystem D program designed for people with type 2 diabetes for loosing weight and managing their diabetes; SUCCESS program designed to take the weight off and keep it off through portion-controlled, balanced nutrition, and low Glycemic Index eating; and Nutrisystem Select, a program for weight loss and weight management that offers standard shelf-stable food and fresh-frozen foods. It also provides monthly food packages of shelf-stable and frozen foods consisting of 28 days of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts, which are supplemented with dairy, fruits, salads, vegetables, and low-glycemic carbohydrate item s. In addition, the company offers transition and maintenance plans that comprise support tools and desired meal occasions, as well as online and smart phone weight management tools. Nutrisystem, Inc. sells its pre-packaged foods to weight loss program participants directly through the Internet and telephone, as well as through QVC, a television shopping network. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Weight Watchers have gained 23% to $24.36 at 11:27 a.m., while NutriSystem (NTRI) has gained 2.4% to $15.36 and Medifast (MED) has dropped 1.6% to $31.15.

• [By John Udovich]

  Last Friday, small cap dieting stock Weight Watchers International, Inc (NYSE: WTW) lost weight for investors when shares tumbled�27.73% to $22.10, meaning its probabaly a good idea to take a closer look�at the stock along with�other small cap weight loss or dieting stocks like NutriSystem Inc (NASDAQ: NTRI), Medifast Inc (NYSE: MED) and Reliv International, Inc (NASDAQ: RELV). Why did Weight Watchers International loose weight last Friday? The company reported its fourth straight quarterly sales decline as fewer people attended meetings and bought its products and also projected earnings that trailed analysts' estimates with the blame being placed on new mobile applications and bracelets that track calories���thus�hurting traditional diet companies.

• [By Glenn Rogers]

  Nutrisystem (NTRI) has been in business for over 40 years, and provides its clients with a complete menu, along with counseling, online tools and applications, along with cookbooks and complete meal planning.

Hot Electric Utility Stocks For 2015: CLARCOR Inc. (CLC)

CLARCOR Inc. provides filtration products, filtration systems and services, and consumer and industrial packaging products worldwide. Its Engine/Mobile Filtration segment offers oil, air, fuel, coolant, transmission, and hydraulic fluid filters for engines used in stationary power generation and mobile equipment applications, as well as for marine, construction, industrial, mining, and agricultural equipment. This segment also provides dust collection cartridges for environmental filtration applications The company�s Industrial/Environmental Filtration segment manufactures specialty industrial process liquid filters; filters for pharmaceutical processes and beverages; filtration systems, filters, and coalescers for the oil and natural gas industry; filtration systems for aircraft refueling, anti-pollution, sewage treatment, and water recycling; bilge water separators; sand control filters for oil and gas drilling; and woven wire and metallic products for filtration of pl astics and polymer fibers. This segment also offers antimicrobial treated filters and electronic air cleaners for use in commercial and residential buildings, hospitals, factories, residences, paint spray booths, gas turbine and dust collector systems, medical facilities, motor vehicle and aircraft cabins, clean rooms, and compressors. Its Packaging segment provides metal, plastic, and a combination of metal/plastic containers and closures for packing dry and paste form products, smokeless tobacco products, lip balms, ointments, and consumer healthcare products. This segment also offers shells for dry batteries; canisters for films and candles; spools for insulated and fine wire; and custom decorated flat metal sheets. The company distributes its products through independent distributors, dealers for original equipment manufacturers, retail stores, and internal sales force, as well as directly to end-use customers. CLARCOR Inc. was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Fra nklin, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Lydon]

  Top holdings based on the index include Acadia Healthcare Companies (ACHC), Amsurg Corporation (AMSG), Brookdale Senior Living (BKD), Clarcor (CLC) and Community Health Systems (CYH).

Hot Electric Utility Stocks For 2015: Anglo American PLC (AAUKY.PK)

Anglo American plc (Anglo American), incorporated on May 14, 1998, is a mining company. The Company�� portfolio include Bulk commodities which consists of iron and manganese, metallurgical coal and thermal; base metals, which consists of copper, nickel and niobium; Precious metals and minerals, which include platinum and diamonds and Other Mining and Industrial. The Company operates in Africa, Brazil, Chile, North and South America, Australia, China, India, Japan, other Asia and Europe. In November 2013, Anglo American PLC announced the completion of its sale of the Amapa iron ore operation in Brazil (Amapa) to Zamin Ferrous Ltd. In January 2014, Anglo American completed the acquisition of Mineral Technology Exploration Production SA (MINTEP) and Societe Miniere d'Alumine SA.

Iron and Manganese

The Company�� Iron Ore portfolio consist a 69.7% holding in Kumba Iron Ore Limited (Kumba), a supplier of seaborne iron ore, and Iron Ore Brazil�� 100% interest in Anglo Ferrous Minas-Rio, a 49% shareholding in LLX Minas-Rio, which owns the port of Acu, and a 70% interest in the Amapa iron ore system. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Kumba operated three mines: Sishen Mine in the Northern Cape, which produced 33.7 million tons (MT) of iron ore, Thabazimbi Mine in Limpopo, with an output of 0.8 MT and Kolomela mine, also in the Northern Cape and produced 1.5 MT. During 2011, Kumba exported more than 85% of its total iron ore sales volumes of 44.4 million tons, with 69% of these exports destined for the People�� Republic of China and the remainder to Europe, Japan, South Korea and the Middle East. Its Minas-Rio iron ore project is located in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.

The Company�� Manganese interests consist of a 40% holding in Samancor Holdings, which owns Hotazel Manganese Mines and Metalloys, both in South Africa, and a 40% holding in each of the Australian-based operations Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) and Tasmanian Electro ! Metallurgical Company (TEMCO), with BHP Billiton owning 60% and having management control. It is producer of seaborne manganese ore and is top three global producers of manganese alloy. Its operations produce a combination of ores, alloys and metal from sites in South Africa and Australia.

Metallurgical Coal

The Company�� coal operations in Australia are based on the east coast, from where Metallurgical Coal serves a range of customers throughout Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and Europe and South America. Its metallurgical coal operation in Canada, Peace River Coal, mainly serves customers in Europe, Japan and South America. Metallurgical Coal operated six mines, one wholly owned and five in which it has a controlling interest. Five of the mines are located in Queensland�� Bowen Basin: Moranbah North (metallurgical coal), Capcoal (metallurgical and thermal coal), Foxleigh (metallurgical coal), Dawson (metallurgical and thermal coal) and Callide (thermal coal). Drayton mine (thermal coal) is in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Moranbah North is an underground longwall mining operation with a mining lease covering 100 square kilometers.

Capcoal operates two longwall underground mines and an open cut mine. Together, they produce around 5.0 MT annually of hard coking coal, pulverised coal injection (PCI) and thermal coal. Capcoal also supplies methane-rich seam gas to Energy Developments Limited�� power station. Foxleigh is an open cut operation with an annual output exceeding 1.4 million tons of PCI coal. During 2012, Dawson, which is an open cut operation, produced 4.6 MT total of coking and thermal coal. During 2012, Capcoal operates two underground mines and an open cut mine. Together, they produced around 6.0 Mt of hard coking, pulverised coal injection (PCI) and thermal coals. During 2012, Foxleigh is an open cut operation which produced 1.9 Mt of high quality PCI coal.

Thermal Coal

Thermal Coal operates in South Africa a! nd and is! a joint partner in Cerrejon, Colombia. In South Africa, Thermal Coal wholly owns and operates nine mines and has a 50% interest in the Mafube colliery and Phola washing plant. During 2012, six of the mines supplied 23 million tons per annum of thermal coal to both export and local markets. New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel collieries are domestic product operations supplying 29 million tons per annum of thermal coal to Eskom, the state-owned power utility. During 2012, Isibonelo mine produced five million tons per annum of thermal coal for Sasol Synthetic Fuels, the coal to liquids producer, under a 20 year supply contract. Thermal Coal�� South African operations route all export thermal coal through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), in which it has a 24.2% shareholding, to customers throughout the Med-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific regions. Within South Africa, 62% of total sales tons are made to the Eskom power utility.

Copper

The Company has interests in six copper operations in Chile. The wholly owned operations consists of the Mantos Blancos and Mantoverde mines, and it hold a 50.1% interest in Anglo American Sur (AA Sur), which includes the Los Bronces and El Soldado mines and the Chagres smelter. It has a 44% interest in the Collahuasi mine. The mines also produce associated by-products, such as molybdenum and silver. In addition, it has interests in Quellaveco and Michiquillay projects in Peru and a 50% interest in the Pebble project in Alaska.

Nickel

Nickel has three ferronickel operations: Codemin and Barro Alto in Brazil and Loma de Niquel in Venezuela. Within the

business unit�� portfolio there are also two projects, Jacare and Morro Sem Bone, both in Brazil, and exploration projects in Finland, Canada and Australia.

Platinum

The Company�� Platinum business, based in South Africa, is the producer of platinum. Platinum mines, processes and refines the entire range of platinum group metals (PGMs): platin! um, palla! dium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. Base metals such as nickel, copper and cobalt sulphate are secondary products and are contributors to earnings. Platinum�� operations exploit reserve of PGMs, known as the Bushveld Complex, which contains PGMbearing Merensky, UG2 and Platreef ores. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Platinum wholly owns 10 mining operations in production, a tailings re-treatment facility, three smelters, a base metals refinery and a precious metals refinery. Concentrating, smelting and refining of the output are undertaken at Rustenburg Platinum Mines��(RPM) metallurgical facilities. During 2012, Platinum�� 100% owned mining operations consists of the five mines at Rustenburg Section: Khomanani, Bathopele, Siphumelele, Thembelani and Khuseleka; Amandelbult Section�� two mines, Tumela and Dishaba, as well as Mogalakwena and Twickenham mines. Union Mine is 85% held with a black economic empowerment (BEE) partner, the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela traditional community, holding the remainder. The Unki mine in Zimbabwe is wholly owned.

Diamonds

The Company�� diamond interests are represented by its 40% holding in De Beers. The other shareholders in De Beers are Central Holdings Ltd, which owns 40%, and the Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB) with 15%. De Beers is a diamond company producing diamonds from its mines in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. As of December 31, 2012, De Beers held a 50% interest in Debswana Diamond Company and in Namdeb Diamond Corporation. In addition, De Beers has a 74% holding in South African based De Beers Mines Limited. De%Beers owns 100% of De%Beers Canada. De%Beers owns 100% of The Diamond Trading Company (DTC). De Beers, through Element Six Technologies, is a supplier of industrial supermaterials. Element Six operates internationally, with 10 manufacturing sites globally and a global sales network.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Kramer-Miller]

  The Pebble Project is an enormous potential mine in Alaska containing mostly copper, and some gold and molybdenum. The project is owned by the Pebble Partnership, of which Northern Dynasty Minerals owns half, while Anglo American (AAUKY.PK) owns the other half.

Hot Electric Utility Stocks For 2015: NetSol Technologies Inc.(NTWK)

Netsol Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, and markets software products for the automobile finance and leasing, banking, healthcare, and financial services industries worldwide. It offers NetSol Financial Suite, which is an end-to-end solution that covers the leasing and finance cycle. The NetSol Financial Suite consist of software applications comprising Point of Sale, a front office processing system for the finance sector; Credit Application Processing System to handle the incoming credit applications from dealers, agents, brokers, and the direct sales force; Contract Management System to manage and maintain a contract; Wholesale Finance System to automate and manage the floor plan/bailment activities of dealerships; and Fleet Management System to handle fleet management needs. The NetSol Financial Suite also includes LeasePak that develops Web-enabled and Web-based tools for the leasing technology industry. In addition, the company offers LeaseSoft Portals and Modul es; enterprise wide information systems, such as LRMIS, MTMIS, and Hospital Management Systems; accounting outsourcing services; and career and technology programs. Further, it provides portfolio management systems for the financial services industry; and consulting, custom development, systems integration, and technical services for the healthcare, insurance, real estate, and technology markets. Additionally, the company offers business intelligence, independent system review, information security, and software process improvement consulting services; maintenance and support, and project management services; and solutions for the defense and military forces. It serves Fortune 500 manufacturers, automakers, financial institutions, utilities, technology providers, and government agencies. The company was formerly known as NetSol International, Inc. and changed its name to NetSol Technologies, Inc. in March 2002. NetSol Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in Ca labasas, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 stock that's quickly pushing within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is Netsol Technologies (NTWK), which designs, develops, markets and exports proprietary software products to customers in the automobile finance and leasing, banking, health care and financial services industries internationally. This stock is off to a strong start in 2013, with shares up by 28%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Netsol Technologies, you'll notice that this stock has been downtrending badly for the last two months, with shares sliding sharply lower from its high of $12.10 to its recent low of $7.03 a share. During that downtrend, shares of NTWK have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of NTWK have started to stabilize and reverse its downtrend, since the stock has started to make higher lows and higher highs over the last few weeks. This move is quickly pushing shares of NTWK within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in NTWK if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $7.74 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 225,909 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then NTWK will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $8.71 to its 50-day moving average at $9.16 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give NTWK a chance to tag its 200-day at $10.20 to more resistance at $10.45 a share.

  Traders can look to buy NTWK off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $7.20 or $7.03 a share. One can also buy NTWK off strength once it clears $7.74 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage fr

• [By CRWE]

  NetSol Technologies (Nasdaq:NTWK), a provider of global IT and enterprise application solutions, reported that Mercedes-Benz Leasing Company Ltd. (China), went live with the NetSol Financial Suite (NFS(tm)).

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2015

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG  ) , a mortgage insurance company to lenders and government-sponsored entities, jumped as much as 15% after handily topping Wall Street's earnings estimates in the second-quarter.

So what: For the quarter, revenue fell 18% to $263.9 million, but the company surprised Wall Street by reporting a profit of $0.04 per share. This easily reversed its year-ago loss of $1.36 per share and trumped the Street's forecast of a $0.15 per-share loss. Furthermore, new insurance written jumped 36% to $8 billion from the year-ago period while delinquent loans, excluding bulk loans, dropped to just 10.16% from 12.51% at this time last year.

Now what: The big catalyst for MGIC has been an improving housing market where low lending rates have spurred homebuyers to once again take the plunge. Years removed from the financial crisis, credit quality has also improved for many consumers, meaning a decline in the number of delinquent loans. However, with MGIC still only slowly removing itself from bad legacy loans and interest rates already beginning to rise, what benefits it sees from an uptick in new business underwritten now may be very short-lived. Let's not forget we're talking about a company that hasn't turned in an annual profit since 2006 and recently diluted its shareholders in a big way in order to raise cash and reduce its risk-to-capital ratio, which its own CEO, Curt Culver, suggested would get worse before it gets better. Despite today's surprise profit, this is a company I'd suggest staying far away from.

Top 10 Cheapest Companies For 2016: Beam Inc (BEAM)

Beam Inc. (Beam), incorporated on October 1, 1985, is a premium spirits company that makes and sells branded distilled spirits products in markets worldwide. The Company's principal products include bourbon whiskey, tequila, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac, rum, cordials, and ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktails. The Company's portfolio consists of brands the Company identifies as Power Brands, Rising Stars, Local Jewels and values Creators. The Power Brands are the Company's core brand equities, with global reach in premium categories. Rising Stars are smaller premium brands. Brands identified as Local Jewels act as Power Brands in local markets. Value Creators include a variety of brands. The Company's three reportable segments are the geographic regions, which consists of North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific/South America (APSA). Each segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of distilled spirits products. In May 2012, the Company acquired the Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum brands and certain related assets (Pinnacle assets) from White Rock Distilleries, Inc. In January 2012, Beam acquired Cooley Distillery plc (Cooley), an Irish whiskey producer.

The Company�� Power Brands include Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Courvoisier Cognac, Canadian Club Whisky, Teacher's Scotch and Pinnacle Vodka. Beam�� Rising Stars brand includes Laphroaig Scotch, Knob Creek Bourbon, Basil Hayden's Bourbon, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Skinnygirl Cocktails and Sourz Liqueurs. The principal markets for the Company's spirits products are the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and the Company continues to invest in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Central Europe, Asia, and other geographies.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, Power Brands, Rising Stars, and combined Local Jewels/Value Creators (including non-branded sales) repre! sent approximately 60%, 15%, and 25%, respectively, of the Company's net sales. Approximately 55% of its consolidated net sales were generated in the United States (based on country of destination) during 2012. In the United States, the Company sells its products either to wholesale distributors for resale to retail outlets or, in those states that control alcohol sales, to state governments who then sell them to retail customers and consumers. In the Company's other global markets, the Company uses a variety of route-to-market models, including third party distributors, global or regional duty free customers, other spirits producers and its joint ventures with The Edrington Group Ltd.

The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Constellation Brands, Inc., Davide Campari Milano-S.p.A., Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A. and Remy Cointreau S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Spirits maker�Beam� (NYSE: BEAM  ) did the same thing after its Maker's Mark brand announced that it was going to water down its iconic bourbon to stretch volume, lowering alcohol content from 45% to 42%. After the outcry, it quickly reversed course and made a big show of contrition on its Facebook page.

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2015: iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMB)

iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Fund (the Fund) is a non-diversified fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specified benchmark index (the Underlying Index) representing a segment of emerging countries bond markets. The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in fixed-income securities that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund operates as an index fund and will not be actively managed. The adverse performance of a security in the Fund�� portfolio will ordinarily not result in the elimination of the security from the Fund�� portfolio. The Fund is managed by Barclays Global Fund Advisors (BGFA), a subsidiary of iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Fund (BGI).

The Fund generally will invest at least 90% if its assets in the securities of its Underlying Index. However, the Fund may at times invest up to 20% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds advised by BGFA, as well as in high-yield corporate bonds not included in its Underlying Index. iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in the United States-denominated bonds issued by sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities of emerging market countries. The Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Saumya Vaishampayan]

  The iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (EMB) fell 0.6% to end at $107.55. �

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Finally, beyond the Dow, the real damage is happening not in stocks but in other markets, especially bonds. PIMCO Total Return ETF (NYSEMKT: BOND  ) is down 1.3%, proving to investors seeking safety that bond investments are far from a secure place to put your money these days. Emerging-market bond investments are taking even more damage, with iShares JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Bond (NYSEMKT: EMB  ) plunging 3.5%. When investors try to reduce their risk, the first place they look is in the more aggressive areas where they've put their money. The exodus from emerging markets in both stocks and bonds shows the fear that's rising among U.S. investors -- but that fear is motivated less by the prospects in those countries than by investors' desire to preserve hard-won profits dating back to 2009.

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2015: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the production, development, exploration, and acquisition of mineral properties with a focus on silver in Mexico. The company owns interests in La Encantada Silver Mine comprising 4,076 hectares of mining rights and 1,343 hectares of surface land located in Coahuila; La Parrilla Silver Mine consisting of mining concessions covering an area of 69,867 hectares; and San Martin Silver Mine comprising approximately 7,841 hectares of mineral rights and approximately 1,300 hectares of surface land rights located in Jalisco. It also holds interests in Del Toro Silver Mine consisting of 393 contiguous hectares of mining claims and an additional 129 hectares of surface rights located in Zacatecas; Real de Catorce Silver Project comprising 22 mining concessions covering 6,327 hectares located in San Luis Potosi state; and Jalisco Group of Properties consisting of mining claims totalling 5,240 hectares located in Jalisco. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Tuesday

  Earnings Expected: Fossil Group (NASDAQ: FOSL), CST Brands (NYSE: CST), First Majestic Silver (NYSE: AG) Economic Releases Expected: US retail sales, US redbook, German ZEW economic sentiment, Chinese retail sales, Chinese industrial production

  Wednesday

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2015: Powershares High Yield Equity Dividend (PEY)

PowerShares High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers Portfolio is based on the Mergent Dividend Achievers 50 Index. The Mergent Dividend Achievers 50 Index seeks to deliver current income and capital appreciation. It comprises the fifty highest yielding companies with at least 10 years of consecutive dividend increases.

The Index�� high dividend yield approach provides exposure to deep value companies while the long-term dividend growth requirement attempts to minimize exposure to distressed value companies. The yield weighted portfolio is rebalanced quarterly and reconstituted annually.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  If that savings target seems too high, your options include either working longer (to keep the length of your retirement shorter) or investing more aggressively. For instance, the PowerShares High Yield Dividend Achievers (NYSEMKT: PEY  ) invests in higher-yielding companies with decent histories of raising their payouts. That ETF currently yields more than the Vanguard bond fund, and the companies in the PowerShares ETF have the potential to raise their payouts as they grow.

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  PowerShares High Yield Dividend Achievers (NYSEMKT: PEY  )

  50 higher yielding members of the dividend achievers index�

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2015: Capital City Bank Group(CCBG)

Capital City Bank Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Capital City Bank that provides commercial and retail banking products and services. Its deposit products include negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market accounts, checking and savings accounts, and time deposits. The company offers financing for commercial business properties, equipment, inventories, and accounts receivable, as well as commercial leasing and letters of credit; commercial and residential real estate lending; retail credit products, including personal loans, automobile loans, boat/recreational vehicle loans, home equity loans, and credit card programs; and tax-exempt loans, lines of credit, and term loans. It also provides treasury management services, merchant credit card transaction processing services, automated teller machines (ATMs), debit/credit cards, night deposit services, safe deposit facilities, PC/Internet banking, and mobile banking services. In addition, the c ompany offers asset management, trust, mortgage banking, merchant services, and data processing services, as well as securities brokerage services, including U.S. government bonds, tax-free municipal bonds, stocks, mutual funds, unit investment trusts, annuities, life insurance, and long-term health care. It serves individuals, corporations, and other business clients, including commercial developers and investors, residential builders and developers, community developers, state and local governments, public schools and colleges, charities, and membership and not-for-profit associations. As of January 27, 2012, the company operated 70 banking offices and 79 ATMs in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Capital City Bank Group, Inc. was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. Avg. High Yield Price
  2. 20-Year DCF Price
  3. Avg. P/E Price
  4. Graham Number
  
  CTBI is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 53.5% premium to its calculated fair value of $29.43. CTBI did not earn any Stars in this section.
  
  Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. Free Cash Flow Payout
  2. Debt To Total Capital
  3. Key Metrics
  4. Dividend Growth Rate
  5. Years of Div. Growth
  6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%
  
  CTBI earned one Star in this section for 1.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1988 and has increased its dividend payments for 33 consecutive years.
  
  Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. NPV MMA Diff.
  2. Years to > MMA
  
  The negative NPV MMA Diff. means that on a NPV basis the dividend earnings from an investment in CTBI would be less than a similar amount invested in MMA earning a 20-year average rate of 3.41%. If CTBI grows its dividend at 1.5% per year, it will never equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.41%.
  
  Memberships and Peers: CTBI is, a member of the Broad Dividend Achieve

Best High Tech Stocks To Own For 2015: Hansen Medical Inc.(HNSN)

Hansen Medical, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells medical robotics designed for positioning, manipulation, and control of catheters and catheter-based technologies. The company?s products comprise the Sensei Robotic Catheter System and its related Artisan and Lynx catheters. It offers Sensei Robotic Catheter systems and Artisan catheters for manipulation, positioning, and control of mapping catheters during electrophysiology procedures. The company also provides robotic platforms consisting of the Magellan Robotic System and the NorthStar Robotic Catheter for the treatment of vascular disease. In addition, it offers CoHesion 3D Visualization Module, a software interface that provide physicians with 3D visualization to augment their ability to move a catheter throughout the heart, as well as control the placement of the catheter in specific locations. The company sells its products through direct sales force in the United States; and through direct sales force and dis tributors primarily in the European Union and internationally. It has a joint development agreement and co-marketing agreement with St. Jude Medical, Inc. for the development of CoHesion 3D Visualization Module; and a collaboration agreement with Philips Medical Systems Nederland B.V. to co-develop integrated products for use in the diagnosing and treatment of arrhythmias. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap robotic stock Adept Technology (NASDAQ: ADEP) has put in a very good performance this month verses its immediate peer�iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ: IRBT) as well as against medical robotic stocks like MAKO Surgical (NASDAQ: MAKO), Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) and Hansen Medical, Inc (NASDAQ: HNSN). I should also mention that we have recently added Adept Technology to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio (we are up 9% since last week) because we feel robotics is an improving sector as companies aim to reduce overhead and improve efficiencies through machine to machine (M2M) automation.

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap medical robotics stock MAKO Surgical Corp (NASDAQ: MAKO) soared 82.19% after it was announced that Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK) would acquire it���meaning it might be time to take a closer look at large cap medical robotics leader Intuitive Surgical, Inc (NASDAQ: ISRG) along with small caps Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) and Hansen Medical, Inc (NASDAQ: HNSN). MAKO Surgical Corp�markets both its RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System and proprietary RESTORIS family of implants to surgeons for a procedure called MAKOplastythat provides a less invasive method for knee resurfacing and a new procedure for Total Hip Arthroplasty.�Stryker Corporation, whose medical technologies include reconstructive, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine products, agreed to pay $1.65 billion or $30 a share for a massive 86%�premium for MAKO Surgical Corp. That�� sounds great for investors unless you are an investor who go in the stock back in 2011 and early 2012 when shares hit as high as the�$43 level.

• [By Rich Smith]

  While billed as a rival to America's Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) , Mazor actually bears closer resemblance to tiny Hansen Medical (NASDAQ: HNSN  ) . Lacking profits despite raking in nearly $15 million in revenues last year, Mazor doesn't generate positive free cash flow like Intuitive does. Instead, it burns it like Hansen does (albeit more slowly). Last year, negative free cash flows amounted to $2.1 million, which suggests that Wallachbeth's endorsement may be a bit premature.

Top Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now

For many investors, May is value investing month. It's when the cheapskates come together to celebrate all things Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha.

And yet history shows that sometimes the best value stocks are expensive at purchase. That's certainly been true of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) in years past and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) for, well, ever. Both stocks have shown investors generous returns despite having traded for more than 100 times earnings at various points in their history, says Tim Beyers of�Motley Fool Rule Breakers and�Motley Fool Supernova in the following video.

Don't obsess over strict value investing principles. Instead, follow Buffett's own advice to avoid spending time valuing declining businesses. Look for rich opportunities led by healthy, growing enterprises such as Apple and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) , which Tim says are his top two holdings.

Do you adhere to strict value investing principles? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take, and then talk about your top two holdings in the comments box below.

Hot Tech Companies To Own For 2016: Rent-A-Center Inc.(RCII)

Rent-A-Center, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, primarily engages in leasing household durable goods to customers on a rent-to-own basis. The company?s stores offer durable products, such as consumer electronics, appliances, computers, and furniture and accessories under flexible rental purchase agreements that allow the customer to obtain ownership of the merchandise at the conclusion of an agreed upon rental period. It also provides merchandise on an installment sales basis in its stores. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 3,008 company-owned stores in the United States, and in Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, including 42 retail installment sales stores under the names ?Get It Now? and ?Home Choice?; and 18 rent-to-own stores located in Canada under the ?Rent-A-Centre? name. It also operates 209 franchised rent-to-own stores in 32 states under the ColorTyme trade name; and 384 kiosk locations under the ?RAC Acceptance? model. In addition, the company, th rough its ColorTyme?s franchised stores, offers custom rims and tires for sale or rental under the trade names ?RimTyme? or ?ColorTyme Custom Wheels?. Rent-A-Center, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ: RCII) shares tumbled 11.08 percent to $25.83 after the company issued a downbeat guidance for the second quarter. The company expected adjusted earnings of $0.36 to $0.38 per share on revenue of around $773 million.

Top Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Global Payments Inc.(GPN)

Global Payments Inc. provides electronic transaction processing services for merchants, independent sales organizations (ISO), financial institutions, government agencies, and multi-national corporations located in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards; business-to-business purchasing cards; gift cards; and electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification, and recovery, including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. The company also offers proprietary software products to establish revolving check cashing limits for the casinos? customers in the gaming industry. In addition, it sells, installs, and services automated teller machine and point of sale terminals; and provides card issuing services, including card management and card personalization. The company markets its products directly, as well as through ISOs, retail outlets, tra de associations, alliance bank relationships, and financial institutions. Global Payments Inc. has a joint venture with La Caixa Group to provide merchant acquiring services to merchants in Spain. Global Payments Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) reported upbeat fiscal first-quarter results and raised its annual forecast. Global Payments named Jeffrey S. Sloan as its new chief executive and announced its plans to buy back up to $100 million of its common stock. Global Payments shares surged 6.80% to $54.15 in the after-hours trading session.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: Global Payents Inc. (NYSE: GPN), Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), Synnex Corporation (NYSE: SNX) Economic Releases Expected: �US services PMI, Canadian imports and exports, US trade balance, eurozone services PMI, ECB interest rate decision, British services PMI

  Friday

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: Uniferst (NYSE: UNF), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), RPM International (NYSE: RPM), Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) Economic Releases Expected: German trade balance, German factory orders, Australian retail sales

  Thursday

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.95 per share on revenue of $623.79 million.

  Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.01 million.

Top Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  If revenues in the company's technology segment continue to decline at mid-single-digit rates (revenue was down 1% in 2011, 8% in 2012, and 6% in 2013), services could very well account for two-thirds of total revenue by 2017, as projected. However, subpar margins could depress earnings growth for some time -- analysts anticipate EPS growth of just 1.8% this year, which will rise to 8% next year. An 8% uptick is solid, but well below the IT service sector's overall expected growth rate of 33.8%. Xerox is striving to emulate IBM's (NYSE: IBM  ) successful transition from hardware to services, but it's got a long way to go to catch up to Big Blue's margins:

• [By Leo Sun]

  First, Apple signed an enterprise partnership with IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) in July. That deal gave Apple a foothold in enterprise, and provided IBM with a consumer-facing presence which it has lacked since selling its PC business to Lenovo in 2004. Apple and IBM will offer a jointly maintained cloud platform for mobile enterprise users, which provides Apple with custom IBM cloud apps for iOS devices, tech support, and mobile management tools. This platform could help iPads displace Chromebooks and Windows laptops in businesses. Moreover, the alliance could seriously undermine Android as a viable mobile enterprise platform.

• [By Chris Neiger]

  IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) just launched a $1 billion initiative to build and test Flash technology for enterprise solutions. The company said that Flash is already an integral part of consumer products, and that the technology could help companies tackle Big Data challenges.

Top Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Bank of America Corporation(BAC)

Bank of America Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and nonbanking financial services and products to individuals, small- and middle-market businesses, large corporations, and governments in the United States and internationally. The company?s Deposits segment generates savings accounts, money market savings accounts, certificate of deposits, and checking accounts; and Global Card Services segment provides the U.S. consumer and business card, consumer lending, international card and debit card services. Its Home Loans & Insurance segment offers consumer real estate products and services, including mortgage loans, reverse mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and home equity loans. It also provides property, disability, and credit insurance. The company?s Global Commercial Banking segment offers lending products, including commercial loans and commitment facilities, real estate lending, leasing, trade finance, short-term credit, asset-based lending, and indirect consumer loans; and capital management and treasury solutions, such as treasury management, foreign exchange, and short-term investing options. Its Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial products, advisory services, settlement, and custody services; debt and equity underwriting and distribution, merger-related advisory services, and risk management products; and integrated working capital management and treasury solutions. The company?s Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and brokerage services, estate management, financial planning services, fiduciary management, credit and banking expertise, and asset management products. Bank of America Corporation serves customers through a network of approximately 5,900 banking centers and 18,000 automated teller machines. It was formerly known as NationsBank Corporation and changed its name on October 1, 1998. Bank of America Corporation was founded in 1874 and is based in Charlott e, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Hanson]

  Brian Moynihan has held the top spot at Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) for roughly three and a half years, and the bank's share price is down roughly 20% during his reign. That sounds ugly -- but considering the stock was down a crushing 70% for the three and half years before he took over, it doesn't look so bad.

Top Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Oracle Corporation(ORCL)

Oracle Corporation, an enterprise software company, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and services database and middleware software, applications software, and hardware systems worldwide. It licenses of database and middleware software, including database management software, application server software, service-oriented architecture and business process management software, data integration software, business intelligence software, identity and access management software, content management software, portals and user interaction software, development tools, and Java; and applications software comprising enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, enterprise performance management, supply chain management, business intelligence applications, enterprise portfolio project management, Web commerce, and industry-specific applications software. The company also offers customers with rights to unspecified software product upgrades and maintenance releases; Internet access to technical content; and Internet and telephone access to technical support personnel. In addition, its hardware systems products consist of computer server and hardware-related software, including the Oracle Solaris Operating System; and storage products, such as tape, disk and networking solutions for open systems and mainframe server environments. Its hardware systems support solutions include software updates for the software components. Further, the company offers consulting solutions in business and IT strategy alignment, enterprise architecture planning and design, initial product implementation and integration, and ongoing product enhancements and upgrades; cloud services, including Oracle Cloud Services and Advanced Customer Services; and education solutions comprising instructor-led, media-based, and Internet-based training in the use of its software and hardware products. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Redwood Ci ty, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam J. Wiederman]

  Getty Images Bloomberg recently reported that Oracle (ORCL) founder and CEO Larry Ellison saw an 18 percent drop in his pay during fiscal 2013 after he "gave up an annual bonus and the company missed some of its profit targets." This seems even more impressive, considering that Ellison collects a base salary of just $1. But if you dig a little deeper, you'll discover that his pay cut wasn't all that altruistic. You see, he still earned $78.4 million last year. Dissecting Ellison's Pay Stub The bulk of Ellison's pay comes in the form of stock options, which totaled $76.9 million when they were issued last year. Stock options are a common form of CEO compensation. When issued prudently, they can keep an executive's interests aligned with those of shareholders. But Ellison already has a vested interest in Oracle. He founded the company and still owns a hefty 25 percent of it -- a stake currently valued at $36.9 billion. The rest of Ellison's compensation comes via 401(k) contributions ($5,134), benefit plans such as life insurance and long-term disability ($6,122), legal counsel ($2,999), his family's use of aircraft ($85,894), and lastly, security-related costs (more than $1.5 million). Most of these perks are common for CEOs. But, taken together, Ellison's benefits are high -- especially considering his wealth. Ellison holds the title of the third-richest American, according to Forbes. And his name regularly appears near the top of "highest-paid CEOs"lists. Heck, he even owns a Hawaiian island. Needless to say, given Ellison's embarrassment of riches, the extra stock option grants seem excessive. When Enough Is Enough Having the financial priorities of management aligned with the performance of the company is certainly a trait investors like to see. But there is a point where adding any more zeroes to an already-wealthy CEO's paycheck is absurd. There are business leaders who, based on their more shareholder-friendly pay packages, recognize this. Li

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  When longtime Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL) Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison stepped down Sept. 18, it took not one but two new chief executives to replace him.

Top Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc.(FCX)

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. engages in the exploration, mining, and production of mineral resources. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and cobalt. It holds interests in various properties, located in North and South America; the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; and the Tenke Fungurume minerals district in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s consolidated recoverable proven and probable reserves totaled 120.5 billion pounds of copper, 35.5 million ounces of gold, 3.39 billion pounds of molybdenum, 325.0 million ounces of silver, and 0.75 billion pounds of cobalt. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Mixed signals
  Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX  ) is looking to double its copper sales to the country within the next three years to take advantage of China's interest in expanding concentrate imports by 17% this year.�Southern Copper� (NYSE: SCCO  ) , on the other hand, with the industry's largest copper reserves, intends on holding production at the same level it realized in 2012.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Gold investors weren't the only ones having a rough year. Other commodities such as silver and copper have been sinking this year as well, sending top stocks such as Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) and Freeport McMoRan (NYSE: FCX  ) down by double digits. Again, looking at the chart, you can see a pretty big correlation between falling commodity prices and the subsequent fall in the price of each stock.

• [By David Smith]

  There's enough going on at Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE: FCX  ) , the world's biggest publicly traded copper producer, that its management undoubtedly resembles a proverbial cat in a sandbox these days. But the key question regarding the big mining -- and now oil and gas -- company is whether its shares should be bought, sold, or ignored.

• [By Tess Stynes var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(fu]

  Canada’s Encana Corp.(ECA.T) has agreed to buy 45,500 acres of the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas from Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.(FCX) (FCX) for $3.1 billion, the companies said Wednesday. Encana, which has sought to broaden its portfolio beyond natural gas, said it expects the deal will double its current rate of oil production. Encana rose 4.1% to $23.50 premarket.

Top Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Ur Energy Inc(URG)

Ur-Energy Inc., an exploration stage junior mining company, engages in the identification, acquisition, evaluation, exploration, and development of uranium mineral properties. The company has 13 projects located in Wyoming and Nebraska, the United States; and 3 exploration projects located in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada. Its landholdings cover approximately 90,000 acres in the United States and approximately 140,000 acres in Canada. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Littleton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Brumley]

  PLAB’s per share income is expected to double next year, from 2013′s profit of 30 cents per share to 60 cents per share in 2014.

  Ur-Energy (URG)

  12/2 Price: $1.15

• [By John Udovich]

  Since the start of the week, small cap nuclear fuel stock USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) more than doubled for investors, something that has not happened for investors in uranium stocks like Uranium Resources, Inc (NASDAQ: URRE), Denison Mines Corp (NYSEMKT: DNN), Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT: URG) and Uranerz Energy Corp (NYSEMKT: URZ). To recap: USEC Inc closed at the $6 level on Friday, but then it surged to the $15 level on Monday only to open at the $10 level on Tuesday when it ultimately closed at $12.46. So what in the world is going on with USEC Inc and is it time to revisit nuclear fuel and uranium stocks?

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Well, I'll give myself an A for effort, but a C- for timing. But, I can bump that C- up to a B+ if my intuition is right as we head into the last few days of 2013 and the first few of 2014. What I'm talking about is a bullish commentary I penned back on November 26th regarding Uranerz Energy Corp. (NYSEMKT:URZ), Uranium Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:URRE), and Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT:URG). All three stocks were perking up, and more than that, the buzz surrounding URG, URRE, and URZ was getting louder. More often than not, when the fervor and bullish action and chatter reaches the levels they had reached a month ago, an explosion is right around the corner.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  You know, were it just Uranium Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:URRE) or just Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT:URG) or just Uranerz Energy Corp. (NYSEMKT:URZ) making a decided bullish move, I might be able to dismiss it. Similarly, if URZ had only been moving higher for one or two days (or only URG or only URRE), it might be easy to not be impressed. Neither of those situations has been the actual case, however. All three stocks have been moving upward for several days now, quite a bit, on noticeably higher volume. There's something "going on", as it were, and if prior group-wide movements are any clue, it's the kind of move worth tapping into.

Saks Investors Make Out Like Inept Bandits

For a company that is putting up solid sales growth, has a great brand, and has seen its stock price rise more than 40% in the last 12 months, Saks (NYSE: SKS  ) didn't demand much of a premium. Hudson's Bay, the operator behind Lord & Taylor, picked up Saks for just $16 per share, representing a 4.5% bump to Friday's closing price.

Why is this good news?
It seems like an odd move from Saks' point of view. Hudson's Bay posted a loss in its last quarter, while Saks put up a nice profit in its most recent period. Hudson's Bay also has almost no cash on hand to finance the transaction. The business had about $27 million in cash at its last reporting in May, and it's going to finance the acquisition with equity, debt, and secured notes.

You know what, speaking of the word "acquisition," let's call this what it really is -- a merger. Saks has a larger market capitalization, and while Hudson's Bay runs substantially more locations, it only barely edged out Saks in total revenue last quarter.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Watch Right Now

Management on both sides was eager to spin the big win for Saks shareholders. The closing price represented an "approximate 30% premium to the May 20, 2013 closing price, the day before media speculation began." So really, Hudson's Bay was making Saks an offer it would have been crazy to refuse.

Never mind that Saks put up a 5.9% increase in year-over-year comparable sales last quarter, or that its operating income margin was 8.6% in the same quarter. Surely the business will find some great inspiration from Hudson's Bay, which managed a 4% increase in comparable sales -- with Lord & Taylor experiencing a 1.4% decline -- and a loss at the operational level. Maybe some of that difference is that Saks is managing $436 of annual revenue per square foot, while Hudson's Bay's combined brands are running under $200.

So why is this good news?
The benefit for Saks is, actually, that Lord & Taylor isn't as good. Saks is still managing some stores in those malls that no one goes to anymore -- you know, the 90% hat stores mall that still has that cookie place -- and it's expensive to break out of all the leases and shut the places down. Now, it can swap out a lower-end store with a fancy name for the Saks locations, taking less of a hit on the revenue and cost sides.

The combined company could also create a real estate investment trust, using the flagship locations under its umbrella. Saks' New York City flagship alone is valued at more than $800 million. So there's plenty of room for investors to be hopeful about new real estate opportunities.

But what I think is the best bit of news is that Saks gets 40 days to seek better bids. If I were running the place, it would be selling chocolate and board games -- oh, and I'd go look for a better company to join up with. Hudson's Bay may be the best offer out there right now, but it's simply uninspiring. Saks management can -- and should -- do better.

Saks isn't the only retailer on the cusp of a big change. In fact, the entire retail space is in the midst of the biggest paradigm shift since mail order took off at the turn of last century. Only those most forward-looking and capable companies will survive, and they'll handsomely reward those investors who understand the landscape. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more.

Hot Consumer Service Companies To Own In Right Now

Hot Consumer Service Companies To Own In Right Now: India Fund Inc (IFN)

The India Fund, Inc. (the Fund), incorporated on December 27, 1993, is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation. It invests in Indian equity securities. At least 80% of the Fund's total assets are invested in equity securities of Indian companies. Its portfolio includes common stocks, warrants and short-term investments. The India Fund, Inc. operates through a branch in the Republic of Mauritius.

The India Fund, Inc. invests in a range of industries, including computer software and programming, computer services, finance, diversified industries, building and construction, cement, chemicals, electronics and electrical equipment, extractive industries, engineering, diversified financial services, petroleum-related industries, pharmaceuticals, steel and telecommunications. Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Limited is the Fund's investment manager.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  The India Fund Inc. (NYSE: IFN) is a closed-end fund that trades often at severe discounts or premiums to the net asset value. Its gain is only 0.9% to $18.03, and the 52-week trading range of $16.88 to $24.10 implies that it has recovered only 7% off of its recent lows. It currently trades at a discount of 11% to its NAV according to CEFA.com.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  WisdomTree India Earnings Fund (NYSEMKT: EPI) is down yet another 2.7% at $13.05, and it hit a new low of $13.00 on Wednesday against a high of $20.50. The PowerShares India (NYSEMKT: PIN) is down another 2.5% at $13.54, and it hit a new low with its 52-week range now at $13.50 to $19.66. The India Fund Inc. (NYSE: IFN) is a closed-end fund rather than an exchange traded fund (ETF), and it is down almost 1.75% at $16.95, with its shares! hitting a new multiyear low of 416.88, against a 52-week high of $24.10.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-consumer-service-companies-to-own-in-right-now-2.html

How Giant Robots Could Make Time Warner One of the Best Stocks to Buy Now

Giant monsters. Giant robots. Does it get much better? Not for fans of the old Godzilla films, which is why Pacific Rim may find a profitable niche audience when it hits theaters in July, says Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova.

Investors might enjoy the film's similarities with other summer successes. Studio producer Legendary Pictures is teaming with Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) to distribute Pacific Rim. The two companies also partnered on Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises went on to earn more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office, which, at the time, made Time Warner one of the best stocks to buy.

Pacific Rim isn't likely to match that watermark. Nor does it need to. Director Guillermo Del Toro has a history of creating profitable niche action horror films such as the comic book adaptation Hellboy. Translating the same sense of dread to a bigger epic is well within his capabilities, Tim says.

Meanwhile, just as Nolan inserted more than a few goodies for fans of the Batman comics, Del Toro appears to be paying homage to Pacific Rim's cultish predecessors when he refers to the film's giant robots as "Jaegers," possibly in reference to the oversized android "Jet Jaguar" from Godzilla vs. Megalon. Don't think appealing to the nerds matters? Tell that to the 5.7 million who've already watched the special trailer shown at Wondercon in March.

If there's a loser here, it's probably Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) , which had a long history of profiting from U.S. distribution of Godzilla's destructive onscreen appearances. Internationally, Japan's Toho Company holds the licenses to most of that country's "kaiju" (i.e., monster) film franchises.

Do you believe Pacific Rim makes Warner one of the best stocks to buy now? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take, and then let us know how big you expect it to rank among this summer's action blockbusters.

Monsters you can count on ... really
You want big payouts? The Motley Fool has compiled a special free report outlining our nine most dependable high-yielding dividend stocks. It's called "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks." You can access your copy today at no cost! Just click here.

Hot Life Sciences Companies To Invest In 2016

Hot Life Sciences Companies To Invest In 2016: China Unicom (CHU)

China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited (Unicom), incorporated on February 8, 2000, is an integrated telecommunications operator in China providing mobile voice and value-added, fixed-line voice and fixed-line broadband, data communications and other telecommunications services to its customers. The Company operates in two business segments consisting of mobile services and fixed-line services. The Company is engaged in global system for mobile communications (GSM) and wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) cellular business in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China, the provision of fixedline voice, broadband and other Internet-related services, information and communications technology services, business and data communications services, and other related telecommunication value-added businesses. As of 30 June 2011, Unicom Group held 57.81% of the shares in the Company through China United Network Communications Limited (A Share Company), China Uni com (BVI) Limited and China Netcom Group Corporation (BVI) Limited, and Telefonica Internacional S.A.U. held 9.01% of the shares in the Company.

Mobile Business

Unicom's mobile business consists of GSM and third generation (3G) mobile business. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had a total of 167.43 million mobile subscribers. As of December 31, 2010, its total number of mobile subscribers included 167.43 million. Unicom operates the 3G business based on the WCDMA technology nationwide in China. As of December 31, 2010, the total number of its 3G subscribers included 14.06 million, and had 1.35 million wireless data card subscribers, 2.41 million mobile television (TV) subscribers and over seven million mobile reading subscribers. During the year ended December 31, 2010, the total 3G voice usage was 55.47 billion minutes and the avera! ge data usage per subscriber per month was 178M. GSM mobile business primarily consists of GSM voice business an d value-added business.

The Company's mobile ! voice business enables its subscribers to make and receive phone calls with a mobile handset at any point within the coverage area of its mobile telecommunications networks. Its mobile voice business includes local calls, domestic long distance calls, international long distance calls, intra-provincial roaming, inter-provincial roaming and international roaming. As of December 31, 2010, the Company's total number of GSM mobile subscribers was 153.37 million. Unicom offers a range of GSM value-added services nationwide, including short message service (SMS), Cool Ringtone (a personalized ring-back tone service), mobile Internet and other wireless information services. During 2010, a total of 78.31 billion SMSs were transmitted by its GSM mobile subscribers. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had a total number of 67.26 million subscribers to its Cool Ringtone service. In addition, as of December 31, 2010, it had a total number of 55.81 million mobile Internet subscribers.

Fixed-Line Business

Unicom is a fixed-line broadband and communications operator in northern China. The Company offers a range of fixed-line services nationwide in China, including fixed-line broadband services and data communications services; fixed-line voice services, include local and long distance fixed-line voice services and value-added services, and other services. The Company is a provider of fixed-line broadband services in its fixed-line northern service region. Unicom is a provider of data communications services in its fixed-line northern service region. It offers managed data products, such as those based on digital data networks (DDN), frame relay, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and Internet protocol-virtual private network (IP-VPN). The Company also offers leased line products, including domestic and international! leased c! ircuits. Its customers for these services include government entities, large financial institutions and other domestic and multinational businesses, Internet service prov! iders and! other telecommunications operators.

As of December 31, 2010, the Company had established business cooperation relationships with more than 160 overseas operators to provide various international data communications products and services, such as international voice and data services. During 2010, it continued to offer full-scale data communications services to international operators and domestic and international corporate customers. The Company's fixed-line voice services consist of local voice, domestic long distance, international long distance, value-added, interconnection and personal handyphone system (PHS) services. In addition to fixed-line telephone voice services, it offers a range of value-added services on its fixed-line networks. The Company's fixed-line, value-added services include Personalized Ring and caller identification services. Personalized Ring services enable its fixed-line subscribers to personalize the ring-back tone for incoming calls. As of December 31, 2010, the number of its Personalized Ring subscribers reached 23.79 million.

Interconnection and Roaming Arrangements

The Company earns interconnection fees for terminating or transiting calls that originate from other domestic telecommunications operators' networks and pay interconnection fees to other operators for calls originating from its networks that are terminated on their networks. It earns and pays such fees in respect of mobile calls, local and domestic and international long distance calls and Internet services, except for the interconnection by fixed-line subscribers calling its mobile subscribers in the same region where no interconnection fee will be charged.

The Company provides roaming services, which allow its subscribers to access its mobile services while they ar! e physica! lly outside of their registered service area or in the coverage areas of other mobile networks in other countries and re gions with which it has roaming arrangements. As of April 30! , 2011, U! nicom had roaming arrangements for GSM international voice and SMS services with 242 operators in 521 countries and regions; GPRS international inbound data services with 179 operators in 400 countries and regions and for international GPRS outbound data services with 164 operators in 357 countries and regions, and 3G services with 104 WCDMA operators in 245 countries and regions.

Mobile Networks

The Company's mobile network consists of cell sites, which are physical locations, each equipped with a base station that houses transmitters, receivers and other equipment used to communicate through radio channels with subscribers' mobile handsets within the range of a cell; base station controllers, which connect to, and control, the base stations, and mobile switching centers, which control the base station controllers and the routing of telephone calls. Its mobile network also consists of a transmission network, which links the mobile switching cen ters, base station controllers, base stations and the public switched telephone network. It has deployed GSM and WCDMA mobile networks. The Company's GSM mobile network mainly operates at 900 megahertz. It has also deployed GSM technology that operates at 1,800 megahertz in metropolitan areas to supplement the capacity of its existing mobile network. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had approximately 329,000 GSM base stations.

The Company competes with China Mobile and China Telecom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  On Friday, the telecommunications services sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from RRSat Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: RRST) and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited (NYSE: CHU).

• [By Garrett ! Cook]!

  Telecommunications services shares fell by 0.74 percent in Wednesday’s trading. Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included RRSat Global Communications Network (NASDAQ: RRST), down 5.9 percent, and China Unicom (Hong Kong) (NYSE: CHU), off 4.6 percent.

• [By Eddie Staley]

  Telecommunications services shares jumped around 1.19 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), China Unicom (Hong Kong) (NYSE: CHU), and Partner Communications Company (NASDAQ: PTNR).

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Telecommunications services shares jumped around 1.19 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), China Unicom (Hong Kong) (NYSE: CHU), and Partner Communications Company (NASDAQ: PTNR).

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-life-sciences-companies-to-invest-in-2016-2.html

Can Microsoft Get It Right This Time?

Despite embarrassing sales, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) apparently hasn't given up on the Surface RT.

DIGITIMES is reporting that Microsoft will introduce a second generation of its maligned Surface tablet next month. NVIDIA will continue to provide the chips, according to the report, but the screen size will shrink from 10.6 inches to 8 inches.

The screen's not the only thing shrinking. The price tag of what may as well be the Surface RT Mini will be roughly chopped in half to the $249 to $299 range.

Price was the first of five reasons I singled out in predicting that the Surface RT would fail in October. It never made sense for Microsoft to match Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) iPad on price when is lacked developer support and the iOS stability and ecosystem.

Magnetically attaching keyboards and a touch-enhanced Windows RT version of Office Home and Student were never going to be enough.

Microsoft should've been this aggressive on pricing last year, even if it meant upsetting its hardware partners that were putting out their own Windows RT tablets. The Surface RT would've made a difference during the holiday shopping season. Now it has to worry about the market perception that Surface RT is doomed.

5 Best Gas Stocks To Invest In 2016

Industry tracker IDC reports that just 200,000 Surface RT tablets shipped during the first three months of the year. That's 0.4% of the market. Do you really think developers are going to support that platform unless Microsoft's cutting big checks to subsidize the support?

Microsoft has seen Apple's iPad Mini cannibalize full-sized iPads at a $329 price point. The cruel silver lining for Microsoft here is that there is apparently not much of a Surface RT market to eat into.

However, the Surface RT Mini will still be priced a lot higher than many of the smaller Android tablets. The brand also needs to recover, and that's a tall order in these tech cynical times.

Microsoft's Surface has problems and they run deep.

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

3 Key Quotes from U.S. Bancorp's Conference Call

After reporting a quarterly profit of $1.4 billion, which disappointed some investors, U.S. Bancorp's (NYSE: USB  ) management team walked investors through the bank's various segments and answered several questions.

While U.S. Bancorp's management team doesn't receive the same level of press as the executives at the major Wall Street banks, CEO Richard Davis offers some fantastic insight regarding where he sees opportunity in the banking environment and what it means for investors.

On too big to fail

"I am worried that too big to fail is just introducing the idea that we need so many different ways to protect the banks that we will become so risk-free that we will end up losing our benefits to those of you who invest in us."

While Davis admitted that the banking sector as a whole "failed" because it has caused various bodies to question its strength, he mentioned his concerns that too much regulation and focus on capital buffers might ultimately harm banks' ability to compete. At the core of banking, risks must be taken, and if there is too much conservatism, investors will suffer.

On why businesses aren't spending

"You've got the interest rates being decidedly low for a long time, so there is no catalyst for a company to rush to make a decision because rates are eventually going to move up. They probably should be thinking that way, but based on the calculus and what the Fed has done, by tying it to unemployment everyone can see that it is not imminent."

While the banking sector has undoubtedly shown improvement over the past several years, banks are still struggling with a tepid environment for loan demand. Davis attributed much of this activity to the lack of incentive for businesses to deploy cash when interest rates are expected to be depressed for the Fed for the foreseeable future.

On international expansion

"These are businesses that are fairly young, a few years old, but they are the kind that have the great growth curves so they are moving from red to pink to gray to black in terms of bottom line, and they have got great trajectories of growth. And that is probably something you will hear about in the future quarters which isn't present in today's run rate."

U.S. Bancorp's business sticks to its name -- it is an American bank. However, the bank is starting to branch out to international markets, particularly Mexico and South America. These international investments won't be immediate top-line revenue drivers, but over time, foreign exposure may be a positive for investors.

Overall, Davis and his management team remain fairly positive on the outlook for their business and the banking sector as a whole. The bank is very well-capitalized and seems to be well-positioned to pounce on growth opportunities as they present themselves, both domestically and internationally.

10 Best Japanese Stocks To Buy For 2016

With big finance firms still trading at deep discounts to their historic norms, investors everywhere are wondering if this is the new normal, or whether finance stocks are a screaming buy today. The answer depends on the company, so to help figure out whether U.S. Bancorp is a buy today, I invite you to read our premium research report on the company. Click here now for instant access!