Top Biotech Stocks For 2014

In an effort to commercialize its colorectal cancer therapy�Vectibix in China, biotech Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN  ) will form a joint venture with�Zhejiang Beta Pharma to capitalize on its�strong expertise in the development and commercialization of molecularly targeted therapies as well as its oncology sales network in�China, the company announced this week.

The new joint venture will be named Amgen-Beta Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. with Zhejiang Beta Pharma owning 51% and Amgen owning the remaining 49% interest.

"This joint venture brings us one step closer to providing Chinese patients with Amgen's medicines and supports our strategy of expanding in key, fast-growing markets," said Amgen Executive VP�Anthony C. Hooper.

Zhejiang Beta Pharma Chairman Lieming Ding was quoted as saying "Amgen is a pioneer and a global leader in the biotech industry. Our partnership with Amgen will be of long-term strategic significance not only for�Zhejiang Province, but also for the whole medical community in�China."

Top Biotech Stocks For 2014: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company(CTB)

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets replacement tires in North America and internationally. It operates in two segments, North American Tire Operations and International Tire Operations. The North American Tire Operations segment produces and distributes passenger car and light truck tires, as well as tires for racing, medium trucks, and motorcycles to independent tire dealers, wholesale distributors, regional and national retail tire chains, and other large automotive product retail chains. This segment sells its products through three own retail stores. The International Tire Operations segment manufactures and markets passenger car, light truck, motorcycle, light vehicle tires, radial and bias medium truck tires, and racing tires and tire retread material to markets worldwide. The company was founded in 1913 and is based in Findlay, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks]

  Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (CTB) reversed a year-ago loss with first-quarter earnings of 33 cents. The result also bettered the consensus by as much as 312%. Total sales moved forward 16% to $689 million, versus $597 million in the first quarter of 2006. Cooper Tire & Rubber said it continued to benefit from the cost reduction and profit improvement initiatives announced last September. Furthermore, it was helped by improved price and mix in North America, and increased tire unit sales in Europe and Asia.

  Shares of the company gained 12% last week, making it one of the top-performing Zacks #1 Rank companies. It also reached a 52-week high on the day of its report. Looking forward, Cooper Tire & Rubber expects to build on the momentum of the first quarter, as conditions and opportunities suggest a strong 2007. Over the past seven days, earnings estimates for this year have moved forward approximately 25% to 98 cents.

Top Biotech Stocks For 2014: Memtec Ltd t/over(MET.AX)

Mt Isa Metals Limited engages in the discovery, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. It primarily explores for gold, copper, iron-oxide, zinc, uranium, silver, and lead deposits. The company holds interests in a portfolio of tenement positions covering approximately 4,000 square kilometers located in the Mount Isa region of north-west Queensland, Australia, as well as in Burkina Faso, west Africa. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Best Stocks To Watch Right Now: Aehr Test Systems(AEHR)

Aehr Test Systems designs, engineers, and manufactures test and burn-in equipment for use in the semiconductor industry. The company primarily offers the advanced burn-in and test systems for performing tests during burn-in on logic and memory packaged ICs; the FOX full wafer contact parallel test and burn-in systems for making contact with pads of a wafer simultaneously to enable full wafer parallel test and burn-in; the MAX burn-in systems for burn-in and functionally testing of devices, such as digital signal processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and systems-on-a-chip; WaferPak cartridges for use in testing wafers in FOX systems; the DiePak carriers, a reusable, temporary package that enables IC manufacturers to perform final test and burn-in of bare die; and test fixtures, which hold the devices undergoing test or burn-in and electrically connect the devices under test to the system electronics. It also offers customer service and support programs, including s ystem installation, system repair, applications engineering support, spare parts inventories, customer training, and documentation. The company markets and sells its products through a network of distributors and sales representatives to semiconductor manufacturers, semiconductor contract assemblers, electronics manufacturers, and burn-in and test service companies. It has operations in the United States, Asia, and Europe. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.