Top 5 International Companies To Buy Right Now

LONDON -- John Wood Group� (LSE: WG  ) announced today that it is confident it will achieve full-year performance in line with expectations.

The international energy services company -- which operates three core business units -- said that performance in its Wood Group Engineering and Wood Group PSN divisions is on pace; however, Wood Group GTS is behind plan and has extra ground to cover. A trading update for the first half of the year is scheduled for June 26, 2013.

Wood Group, which employs nearly 43,000 people in 50 countries worldwide, currently posts about US$7 billion in annual sales. It provides a range of engineering, production support, maintenance management and industrial gas turbine overhaul and repair services to the oil and gas, and power generation industries worldwide.

Top 5 International Companies To Buy Right Now: Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (SRPT)

Sarepta Therapeutics Inc., formerly AVI BioPharma, Inc., incorporated on July 22, 1980, biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based therapeutics for the treatment of rare and infectious diseases. The Company�� product candidates include Eteplirsen, AVI-6002, AVI-6003, and AVI-7100. As of December 31, 2011, the Company primarily focused on advancing the development of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug candidates, including its lead product candidate, eteplirsen, which is in a Phase IIb trial. The Company is also focused on developing therapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases, including its lead infectious disease programs aimed at the development of drug candidates for the Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever viruses. The Company's program focuses on the development of disease-modifying therapeutic candidates for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The Company initiated a Phase IIb trial for eteplirsen in August 2011 with an objective of initiating a pivotal trial subsequent to 2011.

The Company is also leveraging the capabilities of its RNA-based technology platforms to develop therapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases. The Company's RNA-based drug programs are clinically evaluated for the treatment of DMD and have also demonstrated anti-viral activity in infectious diseases such as Ebola, Marburg and H1N1 influenza in certain animal models. The Company's lead product candidates are at various stages of development.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Program

The Company's lead program is designed to address specific gene mutations that result in DMD by forcing the genetic machinery to skip over an adjacent contiguous piece of RNA and, thus, restore the ability of the cell to express a new, truncated but functional, dystrophin protein.

Eteplirsen is an antisense PMO-based therapeutic in clinical development for the treatment of individuals with DMD who have an error in the gene codi! ng for dystrophin that can be treated by skipping exon 51. Eteplirsen targets the frequent series of mutations that cause DMD. Eteplirsen has been granted orphan drug designation in the United States and European Union. In addition to the Company's lead product candidate, eteplirsen, the Company is actively pursues development of a product candidate that skips exon 45 through an IND-enabling collaboration.

Anti-Viral Programs

The Company is implementing its RNA-based technology platforms in its anti-viral programs for the development of therapeutics to treat viruses, such as Ebola, Marburg and influenza. The Company's arrangement with DoD supporting the development of the Company's Ebola and Marburg virus drug candidates provides funding for all clinical and licensure activities necessary to obtain approval of a New Drug Application (NDA), by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), if DoD exercises all of its options under the arrangement. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company paused its clinical development efforts on AVI-7100 and is exploring funding opportunities or partnerships with DHHS and industry collaborators to advance its development.

The Company's anti-viral therapeutic programs use the Company's translation suppression technology and applies its PMOplus chemistry backbone, an advanced generation of its base PMO chemistry backbone that selectively introduces positive backbone charges to improve selective interaction between the drug and its target. The Company's translation suppressing technology is based on Translation Suppressing Oligomers (TSOs), which are PMO-based compounds that stop or suppress the translation of a specific protein by binding to their specific target sequence in mRNA.

The Company is pursuing development and regulatory approval of its Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever virus product candidates under the FDA's Animal Rule. The Company's lead product candidate against the Ebola virus infec! tion is A! VI-6002. For Marburg virus infection, the Company's lead product candidate has been AVI-6003. In February 2012, the Company announced that the Company received approval from the FDA to remove one of the two oligomers composing AVI-6003 and proceed with a single oligomer approach, AVI-7288, given that efficacy in non-human primates has been demonstrated to be attributable to this single oligomer. The Company is exploring the feasibility of alternate routes of administration of its Ebola and Marburg drug candidates, and at DoD's invitation, the Company is developing a proposal to be submitted for a study to demonstrates feasibility of the intramuscular route.

AVI-6002, which is a combination of AVI-7537 and AVI-7539, is designed for post-exposure prophylaxis after documented or suspected exposure to the Ebola virus. The Company is evaluating the feasibility of developing AVI-7537 as a single agent for the post-exposure prophylaxis after documented or suspected exposure to Ebola virus. AVI-6003, which is a combination of AVI-7287 and AVI-7288, is designed for post-exposure prophylaxis after documented or suspected exposure to Marburg virus. In February 2012, the Company announced that the Company received approval from the FDA to proceed with AVI-7288 as a single agent against Marburg virus infection. The Company intends to proceed with dosing AVI-7288 in the Phase I multiple ascending dose studies and in non-human primate studies.

Influenza Program

The Company's anti-viral therapeutic programs are also focused on the development of the Company's product candidates designed to treat pandemic influenza viruses. AVI-7100 is the Company's lead product candidate for the treatment of influenza and employs its PMOplus technology. In June 2011, the Company initiated dosing of AVI-7100 through intravenous infusion in single-ascending doses in up to 48 healthy adult volunteers. As of December 31, 2011, the Company paused its clinical development efforts on AVI-7100 and are exp! loring fu! nding opportunities or partnerships to advance its development.

The Company has developed three new phosphorodiamidate-linked morpholino oligomers (PMO)-based chemistry platforms in addition to its original PMO-based technology. The Company's PMO-based molecules are designed to sterically block the access of cellular machinery to pre-mRNA and mRNA without degrading the RNA. Through this selective targeting, two distinct biologic mechanisms of action can be initiated: modulation of pre-mRNA splicing and inhibition of mRNA translation.

The Company competes with GlaxoSmithKline plc, Toyama Chemical, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp., Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Prosensa, and Santaris Pharma A/S.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By TheStreet Staff]

   Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) will have another big year, with an accelerated approval filing mid-year for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug eteplirsen in the U.S. and a significant and lucrative ex-U.S. partnership for the company's exon-skipping drug technology platform.

Top 5 International Companies To Buy Right Now: Glacier Bancorp Inc. (GBCI)

Glacier Bancorp, Inc., a multi-bank holding company, provides commercial banking services in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Washington. It offers transaction and savings deposits; real estate, commercial, agriculture, and consumer loans; mortgage origination services; and retail brokerage services to individuals, small to medium-sized businesses, community organizations, and public entities. The company�s deposit products include non-interest bearing demand accounts, interest bearing checking accounts, regular statement savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, fixed rate certificates of deposit, negotiated-rate jumbo certificates, individual retirement accounts, and reciprocal deposits. Its loan products comprise construction and permanent loans on residential real estate; consumer land and lot acquisition loans; unimproved land and land development loans; residential builder guidance lines comprising pre-sold and spec-home construction, and lot acqu isition loans; commercial real estate loans to purchase, construct, and finance commercial real estate properties; commercial and industrial loans; consumer loans secured by real estate, automobiles, and other assets; second mortgage and home equity loans; and agriculture loans. The company operates 106 locations, including 97 branches. Glacier Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Kalispell, Montana.

5 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Own For 2014: Phoenix Oilfield Hauling Inc (PHN.V)

Aveda Transportation and Energy Services Inc. engages in the transportation of products, materials, and equipment for the drilling, exploration, development, and production of petroleum resources in western Canada and the United States. The company�s services include rig moving, general oilfield hauling, and specialized hauling. It is also involved in the rental of tanks, mats, pickers, light towers manifolds, storage tanks, and other equipments for oilfield operations. The company was formerly known as Phoenix Oilfield Hauling Inc. and changed its name to Aveda Transportation & Energy Services Inc. in June 2012. Aveda Transportation & Energy Services Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 5 International Companies To Buy Right Now: Konami Corporation (KNM)

Konami Corporation develops, publishes, markets, and distributes video game software products for stationary and portable consoles, and personal computers worldwide. It operates in four segments: Digital Entertainment, Health and Fitness, Gaming and Systems, and Pachinko and Pachinko Slot Machines. The Digital Entertainment segment plans, produces, manufactures, and sells social content for social networks, content for mobile phones, online games, music and video package products, video game software, video games for amusement facilities, content for token-operated games, and card games, as well as electronic toys, figures, and character goods. This segment also builds computer systems related to online games; maintains and operates online servers; and purchases and distributes video game software for home use. The Health and Fitness segment operates health and fitness clubs. As of March 31, 2012, this segment owned and operated 205 fitness clubs; and provided outsourced s ervices at 161 clubs. The Gaming and Systems segment develops and sells content, hardware, and casino management systems for gaming machines for casinos. The Pachinko and Pachinko Slot Machines segment is involved in the production, manufacture, and sale of pachinko slot machines and liquid crystal displays for pachinko machines. In addition, Konami Corporation provides real estate management services; and operates portal sites. The company was formerly known as Konami Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Konami Corporation in 2000. Konami Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Top 5 International Companies To Buy Right Now: Total S.a. Ord Eur 10(TTA.L)

TOTAL S.A., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated oil and gas company worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemicals. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas, liquefied natural gas, and electricity; and shipping and trading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as well as power generation from renewable energies, and coal production, trading, and marketing. As of December 31, 2011, it had combined proved reserves of 11,423 million barrels of oil equivalent of oil and gas. The Downstream segment is involved in refining, marketing, trading, and shipping crude oil and petroleum products. This segment also produces and markets a range of specialty products, such as lubricants, LPG, jet fuel, special fluids, heavy fuel, bitumen, marine fuels, and petrochemical feedstock. This segment holds interests in 20 refineries located in Europe, the United States, the French West Indie s, Africa, and China, as well as operates a network of 14,819 service stations. The Chemicals segment produces base chemicals, including petrochemicals and fertilizers; and specialty chemicals, such as elastomer processing, adhesives, and electroplating chemistry. This segment serves the automotive, construction, electronics, aerospace, and convenience goods markets. TOTAL S.A. was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Paris, France.