Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014

Sarah Ketterer is the CEO and co-founder of Causeway. She is the portfolio manager for the firm�� fundamental and absolute returns strategies, and is responsible for investment research across all sectors.

Ketterer along with Conor Muldoon, Jonathan Eng, Kevin Durkin, Harry Hartford and James Doyle manage the Causeway International Value Fund. According to their website, the International Value Fund is constructed from an equity universe spanning developed international markets.

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Causeway International�� Top Five Positions as of the second quarter:

Reed Elsevier NV (XAMS:REN)

Causeway International Value�� top holding is in Reed Elsevier. The fund holds on to 5,255,270 shares, representing 3.5% of its total portfolio.

During the second quarter the fund increased its position in Reed Elsevier by 18.85%. The portfolio managers bought a total of 833,487 shares in the second quarter price range of ��2.26 to ��3.43, with an estimated average price of ��2.78. Since then the price per share has increased approximately 6.6%.

Causeway�� holding history as of the second quarter:

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Reed Elsevier NV operates as a publisher and an information provider. Its activities include science and medical, legal and business publishing.

Reed Elsevier�� historical revenue and net income:

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Reed Elsevier has a market cap of ��.27 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around ��3.62 with a P/E ratio of 16.08.

Akzo Nobel NV (XAMS:AKZA)

Causeway�� second largest position is in Akzo Nobel where the fund holds 1,469,131 shares. Their position in the company represents 0.61% of the company�� shares outstanding and 3.4% of its total portfolio.

During the second quarter the fund upped their stake in Akzo Nobel by 38.05%. The fund bought a total of 404,891 shares in the second quarter price range of ��2.65 to ��0.03, with an estimated average price of � �47.22. The share price has since then dropped approximately -3.2%.

Causeway�� holding history as of the second quarter:

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Akzo Nobel is one of the world's leading companies in selected areas of healthcare products, coatings, chemical, and fibers. The company also makes paints, stains, synthetic resins, ethical and nonprescription drugs, hospital related supplies and several other products.

Akzo Nobel�� historical revenue and net income:

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Akzo Nobel has a market cap of ��1.07 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around ��5.73 with a P/E ratio of 29.94, a P/S ratio of 0.72 and a P/B ratio of 1.74.

KDDI Corp. (TSE:9433)

Causeway�� third largest position is in KDDI Corp. The fund maintains 1,571,800 shares of KDDI, representing 0.18% of the company�� shares outstanding and 3.3% of its total portfolio.

The international fund made no changes to their position in KDDI over the duration of the second quarter.

Causeway�� holding history as of the second quarter:

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KDDI Corp is a Japanese telecommunications operator. The company provides mobile cellular services, ISP network and solution services and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) services.

KDDI�� historical revenue and net income:

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The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

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KDDI has a market cap of 楼3642.48 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around 楼4765.00 with a P/E ratio of 28.25, a P/S ratio of 1.92 and a P/B ratio of 1.72. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 1.9% over the past ten years.

Toyota Motor Corp. (TSE:7203)

Causeway�� fourth largest position is in Toyota Motor Corp. The fund holds on to 1,314,000 shares of Toyota, representing 0.04% of the company�� shares outstanding and 3.2% of their total portfolio.

Causeway has maintained 1.314 million share! s of Toyo! ta Motor since 2012Q4, and has seen an average gain of 75% from their initial investment in 2010.

Causeway�� holding history as of the second quarter:

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The company primarily conducts business in the automotive industry. Toyota also conducts business in finance and other industries.

Toyota�� historical revenue and net income:

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The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

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Toyota Motor has a market cap of 楼19067.9 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around 楼6020 with a P/E ratio of 15.46, a P/S ratio of 0.84 and a P/B ratio of 1.53. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 17.3% over the past five years.

Novartis AG (XSWX:NOVN)

Causeway�� fifth largest position is in Novartis where the fund holds on to 995,866 shares of the company�� stock. Causeway�� position represents 0.04% of the company�� shares outstanding and 2.9% of their total portfolio.

During the second quarter Causeway increased their position in Novartis by 18.44%. The fund purchased 155,016 shares of Novartis in the second quarter price range of CHF63.25 to CHF73.65, with an estimated average price of CHF68.39. The price has since then increased about 0.2%.

Causeway�� holding history as of the second quarter:

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The company provides healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies worldwide with a portfolio that includes innovative medicines, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, generic pharmaceuticals and consumer health products.

Novartis��historical revenue and net income:

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The Peter Lynch Chart suggests that the company is currently overvalued:

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Novartis has a market cap of CHF165.54 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around CHF67.65 with a P/E ratio of 19.01, a P/S ratio of 3.12 and a P/B ratio of! 2.63. Th! e company had an annual average earnings growth of 7.7% over the past ten years.

GuruFocus rated Novartis the business predictability rank of 4-star.

Check out Causeway�� international portfolio here. Also check out Sarah Ketterer�� second quarter portfolio here.

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Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc.(SPR)

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs and manufactures commercial aerostructures worldwide. It operates in three segments: Fuselage Systems, Propulsion Systems, and Wing Systems. The Fuselage Systems segment develops, produces, and markets forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections and systems primarily to aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), as well as offers related spares, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. This segment also offers rotorcraft comprising forward cockpit and cabin for military aircrafts. The Propulsion Systems segment engages in the development, production, and marketing of struts/pylons; nacelles, including thrust reversers; and related engine structural components primarily to aircraft or engine OEMs, as well as provides related spares and MRO services. The Wing Systems segment develops, produces, and markets wings and wing components comprising flight control surfaces and other miscellaneous structural parts primarily to aircraft OEMs, as well as offers related spares and MRO services. This segment is also involved in designing, engineering, and manufacturing structural components for military aircrafts, including low observables that are radar absorbent and translucent materials; and radome new builds and refurbishment. It also provides other military services, such as fabrication, bonding, assembly, testing, tooling, processing, engineering analysis, and training. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. serves large commercial airplanes, business and regional jets, and military/helicopter sectors of the aerostructures industry. The company was formerly known as Mid-Western Aircraft Systems Holdings, Inc. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Axel Springer AG (SPR) declined 1.5 percent to 43.43 euros. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. cut its rating on Europe�� biggest newspaper publisher to sell from neutral, saying its valuation is the highest of the publishers it covers. Shares trade at 18.6 times earnings compared with 16.3 times for the DAX.

  • [By Michael J. Carr]

    Einhorn added RAD to his portfolio in the second quarter of 2013, the last quarter we have a full report of his activity for. During that time, he was also buying Spirit AeroSystems Holdings (NYSE: SPR).

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Air Methods Corporation(AIRM)

Air Methods Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides air medical emergency transport services and systems in the United States. It transports persons requiring intensive medical care from either the scene of accident or general care hospitals to highly skilled trauma centers or tertiary care centers. The company operates through three segments: Community-Based Services, Hospital-Based Services, and United Rotorcraft. The Community-Based Services segment provides air medical transportation services, including aircraft operation and maintenance, medical care, dispatch and communications, and medical billing and collection services. This segment operates 201 helicopters and 15 fixed wing aircraft in 29 states. The Hospital-Based Services segment offers air medical transportation services, and medically equipped helicopters and airplanes for hospitals. It operates 212 helicopters and 6 fixed wing aircraft in 34 states. The United Rotorcraft segment designs, manufa ctures, installs, and certifies modular medical interiors, multi-mission interiors, and other aerospace and medical transport products for domestic and international customers, as well as provides quality assurance and certification services. Air Methods Corporation was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    What: Shares of air medical transportation company Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM  ) sank 12% today after its preliminary quarterly results disappointed�Wall Street. �

  • [By Chris Hill]

    We closed today's show with two stocks to watch. Motley Fool analyst Jason Moser has Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM  ) on his radar. And analyst Matt Argersinger is watching Universal Display (NASDAQ: OLED  ) .

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2014: Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A.(SQM)

Chemical and Mining Company of Chile Inc. engages in the production and sale of fertilizers and specialty chemicals in Chile and internationally. The company?s specialty plant nutrients include potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, and specialty blends for crops, such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, potatoes, and cotton, as well as Ultrasol for application via fertigation; Qrop for field application; Speedfol for foliar application; Allganic for organic farming; and Nutrilake for aquaculture. It also produces iodine and iodine derivatives, which are used in a range of medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications, including X-ray contrast media, polarizing films for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), antiseptics, biocides, and disinfectants; and in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, herbicides, electronics, pigments, dye components, and heat stabilizers. In addition, the company provides lithium carbonate for use in various applicat ions comprising batteries, frits for the ceramic and enamel industries, heat-resistant glass, primary aluminum, lithium bromine for use in air conditioner equipment, and continuous casting powder for steel extrusion, pharmaceuticals, and lithium derivatives; and lithium hydroxide, which is used as a raw material in the lubricating grease industry. Further, it offers various industrial chemicals, such as sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and boric acid; and potassium chloride and potassium sulfate. The company was founded in 1968 and is based in Santiago, Chile.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Newman]

    Resilient resources
    While weakness in fertilizer markets hurt Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE: SQM  ) this year, higher sales volume and margins in other businesses helped the company grow earnings 19% over 2012. Sociedad has a hand in many industrial resources, from iodine to lithium, and it boasts healthy double-digit profit margins. It is also expanding its production capacity to keep up with a world hungry for more fertilizer-based food and lithium-based batteries. Still, the company failed to meet recent expectations and has missed the market rally this year. If markets get spooked and head downward, investors could find peace of mind in the intrinsic value of Sociedad's physical resources, as well as its 2.6% dividend yield.

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Amid the boom in Latin America lately, Chile has produced substantial amounts of economic success. But the drop in commodities markets around the world has weighed on resource-reliant industries, and Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE: SQM  ) is one of the companies that has suffered from that trend. On Tuesday, the company will release its latest quarterly results, and investors are nervous about whether SQM will be able to meet the growth expectations they have for the chemical company.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Enbridge Energy Management LLC (EEQ)

Enbridge Energy Management, L.L.C. operates as a limited partner of Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. that owns and operates crude oil and liquid petroleum transportation and storage assets in the United States. It also owns and operates natural gas gathering, treating, processing, transportation, and marketing assets. The company manages and controls the business and affairs of Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. Enbridge Energy Management, L.L.C. was founded in 2002 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Golfsmith International Holdings Inc.(GOLF)

Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of golf and tennis equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories. Its stores offer branded clubs, balls, apparel, and accessories, as well as its proprietary-branded products, including Clubmaker, Golfsmith, Killer Bee, J.G.Hickory, Lynx, Profinity, Snake Eyes, TourTrek, XPC, Zevo, Maggie Lane, ZTech, and MacGregor. The company?s stores also provide club components, clubmaking tools, supplies and on-site clubmaking, custom club-fitting, and club repair services; and hitting areas, putting greens, ball-launch monitor technology, and club demos. In addition, its stores offer golf and tennis lessons, tennis equipment, and tennis racquet maintenance and repair services, as well as partial-flight indoor driving ranges. Further, the company develops and promotes proprietary merchandise, including clubs, club components, apparel, golf bags and covers, pull and push carts, shoes, furnishings, accessories, tra ining aids, and gifts. As of January 25, 2012, it operated 79 stores in the United States. Golfsmith International Holdings also offers its products through catalog and Internet sales. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: ABM Industries Incorporated (ABM)

ABM Industries Incorporated provides integrated facility solutions services in the United States and internationally. It offers floor cleaning and finishing, window washing, furniture polishing, carpet cleaning and dusting, and other building cleaning services for commercial office and industrial buildings, retail stores, shopping centers, warehouses, airport terminals, health facilities, educational institutions, stadiums and arenas, and government buildings. The company also provides mobile and onsite services comprising mechanical engineering and technical services and solutions for infrastructure systems, including maintenance, retro-commissioning, mechanical retrofits and upgrades, electric vehicle charging stations, electrical service, systems start-ups, performance testing, and energy audits to government facilities, military installations, commercial infrastructure, airports/transportation centers, healthcare centers and hospitals, data centers, manufacturing facil ities, educational campuses, corporate office buildings, resorts, shopping malls, museums, and residences. In addition, it offers support programs to government, such as leadership development, education and training, language support, medical support, and construction management services; and food and facility solutions services to hospitals, healthcare systems, long-term care facilities, and retirement communities. Further, the company operates parking lots and garages at office buildings, hotels, medical centers, retail centers, sports and entertainment arenas, educational institutions, municipalities, and airports; and provides transportation services. Additionally, it offers security services comprising staffing of security officers, mobile patrol services, investigative services, electronic monitoring of fire, life safety systems, access control devices, and security consulting services to various facilities. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Next Monday, ABM Industries (NYSE: ABM  ) will release its latest quarterly results. With the stock having recently hit 52-week highs, can the company keep delivering the growth that investors want to see?

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Mercury General Corporation (MCY)

Mercury General Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in writing personal automobile insurance products. The company also writes homeowners, commercial automobile and property, mechanical breakdown, fire, and umbrella insurance products. Its insurance products cover collision, property damage liability, bodily injury liability, comprehensive, personal injury protection, underinsured and uninsured motorist, and other hazards for automobile policy holders. The company sells its policies through a network of independent agents in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan. Mercury General Corporation was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Auto sales are booming and that�� good news for large cap auto insurer�the Progressive Corporation (NYSE: PGR) along with small cap auto insurers Safety Insurance Group, Inc (NASDAQ: SAFT) and�Mercury General Corporation (NYSE: MCY) as they offer income to yield hungry investors as well as income in the form of dividends. Specifically, a Yahoo! Autos blog recently noted that last month, automakers sold 1.5 million new vehicles for the highest rate in years with�most industry forecasters expecting sales to�return to the level they hit before the 2008 recession of 16 million vehicles a year. The blog post then went on to note the three forces driving auto sales:

  • [By Fredrik Arnold]

    Ten Champion dogs that promised the biggest dividend yields into July included firms representing five of nine market sectors. The top stocks were three of five from the financial sector: Universal Health Realty Trust (UHT); Mercury General Corp. (MCY); Old Republic Int'l (ORI). The other two financial firms, HCP Inc., and United Bankshares Inc. (UBSI), placed sixth and eighth.

  • [By Chuck Carnevale] their website:

    ��ercury General (NYSE-MCY) is the leading independent broker and agency writer of automobile insurance in California and has been one of the fastest growing automobile insurers in the nation. It is ranked as the third largest private passenger automobile insurer in California, with total assets over $4 billion. Mercury also writes automobile insurance in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. In addition to automobile insurance, Mercury writes other lines of insurance in various states, including mechanical breakdown and homeowners insurance.��/p>

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    Performance and Dividends Impacted by Operating Stress

    It should be clear from the above graphs that the earnings records of these three Dividend Champions have been far from steady, consistent or reliable. Therefore, I cannot get comfortable either recommending them or investing in them because I cannot get comfortable predicting what their future operating results may be. Furthermore, by examining the performance results associated with the above earnings and price-correlated graphs illustrates a lot of uncertainty. A focus on the earnings growth rate column illustrates a lot of stress on each company�� ability to keep their dividend streaks alive (Blue Circles).

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    The Overvaluation Rejection

    Other reasons besides irregular earnings growth that caused a Dividend Champion to be rejected include one of my all-time favorites, valuation. Or to be more precise ��overvaluation. The following example, McCormick & Co. (MKC), represents one of my favorite Dividend Champions based on a very consistent above-average record of earnings growth that produced its impressive dividend streak. The only reason that this Dividend Champion was rejected was because of current overvaluation.

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Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Vringo Inc. (VRNG)

Vringo, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the innovation, development, and monetization of mobile technologies and intellectual property. Its intellectual property portfolio consists of approximately 500 patents and patent applications covering telecom infrastructure, Internet search, and mobile technologies. The company operates a platform for the distribution of mobile social applications and services, including Facetones and Video Ringtones that transform the basic act of making and receiving mobile phone calls into a visual, social experience. Its Video Ringtones platform allows users to create, download, and share mobile entertainment content in the form of video ringtones for mobile phones; and Facetones is a social ringtone platform that allows users to create social picture ringtone and ringback content in the form of animated slideshows sourced from friends� social networks. The company also provides Fan Loyalty platform that allows users to obtain video and video ringtones, view information on reality television series and stars, and vote for contestants; and Video ReMix platform, which allows users to download an application for iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Android phones, and create their own music video by tapping on various music beats and video files. Vringo, Inc. is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Briefly in the news
    And now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories that shaped our week.

    OmniVision (NASDAQ: OVTI  ) investors are seeing the big picture. Shares of the image sensor maker moved higher after posting better-than-expected quarterly results. Revenue soared 54%, and OmniVision's profit of $0.31 a share blew away the $0.21 analysts were targeting. Nokia (NYSE: NOK  ) is no longer the leading smartphone seller in Finland. Tech tracker IDC reports that Samsung outsold Nokia in its home country this past quarter. So much for the hometown hero. Vringo (NASDAQ: VRNG  ) got another tech giant to pay up, but it won't be much. The company announced a patent-infringement settlement with Mr. Softy in which Vringo will receive $1 million and enter into a licensing deal with the world's largest software company.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: ProLogis(PLD)

Prologis Inc. is an independent equity real estate investment trust. It invests in the real estate markets across the globe. The firm engages in the ownership, development, management, and leasing of industrial distribution and retail properties. It was previously known as Security Capital Investment Trust. Prologis Inc. was formed in 1991 and is based in San Francisco, California with an additional office in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Prologis (NYSE: PLD  ) has announced that it will sell 31 million new pieces of itself. That's the number of common shares it will float in an upcoming, underwritten public stock offering. The price of the shares will be $41.60 apiece, and the company's underwriters have been granted a 30-day purchase option for up to an additional 4.65 million shares to cover overallotments, if any.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    But the S&P 500′s biggest losers show the kind of carnage long predicted by those fearful of higher yields. How’s this for evidence: Real-estate investment trusts,�whose yields look more paltry with every tick higher in the 10-year Treasury, made up half of the top-10 losers. Prologis (PLD) fell 8.4% to $35.08, the Macerich Co. (MAC) dropped 8.2% to $56.72 and Health Care REIT (HCN) was off 8.1% at $58.57.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Industrial real estate developer Prologis� (NYSE: PLD  ) �has declared regular and preferred dividends for the second quarter of 2013. The company plans to distribute $0.28 per share of its common stock on June 28 to shareholders of record as of June 11. For its�8.54% Series Q cumulative redeemable preferred stock, Prologis will distribute $1.0675 per share, which will be paid on July 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 18.

  • [By Dimitra DeFotis]

    Among real estate trusts:

    American Tower��(AMT),�the diversified �REIT, is the best performer in the index.�It was�up 4.6% after saying�Friday it will buy the parent of tower operator Global Tower Partners for $4.8 billion. HCP (HCP), a healthcare REIT, was�up 3.3%. Prologis (PLD) an industrial REIT, was�up 2.8%. Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) was�up 2.7%. Boston Properties (BXP), the office REIT, was�up 2.3%. Equity Residential (EQR), a residential REIT, was�up 2.4%. Ventas (VTR), a healthcare REIT, was�up 2%.

     

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Metro Bancorp Inc(METR)

Metro Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Metro Bank, which provides a range of retail and commercial banking services to consumers and small and mid-sized companies in Pennsylvania. Its deposit products include personal and business checking accounts, regular savings accounts, money market accounts, interest checking accounts, fixed rate certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, and club accounts. The company?s loan products portfolio comprises commercial and industrial, owner occupied real estate, commercial construction and land development, and commercial real estate loans; consumer loans, including home equity, overdraft checking protection, and consumer credit cards, as well as installment loans for home improvement, and the purchase of consumer goods and automobiles; and construction loans and permanent mortgages for homes. It also offers debit card services, online banking services, safe deposit facilities, and automated teller fa cilities. As of July 14, 2011, Metro Bancorp operated 33 stores in the counties of Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York. The company was formerly known as Pennsylvania Commerce Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to Metro Bancorp, Inc. in June 2009. Metro Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Facebook's Mobile Numbers Wow Investors, but Fickle Teens Cause Worry

On Wednesday afternoon, social giant Facebook  (NASDAQ: FB  ) reported earnings and garnered mixed reactions from investors. On one hand, the mobile business continues to ramp extremely well. Mobile was 49% of ad revenue, or around $880 million in sales, while mobile users continue to rise. Any shred of doubt about Facebook's ability to monetize mobile can now officially be dismissed.

On the other hand, investor attention has turned to teen engagement as a proxy to whether or not Facebook's business is viable in the long-term; Facebook needs to stay relevant with future generations. On this front, the company acknowledged that it saw declining engagement among young teens, with fewer daily active users in this demographic. Additionally, Facebook implied it was hesitant to further increase its ad load in user News Feeds, which had helped drive the quarter's revenue gains in the first place.

In this segment of Tech Teardown, Erin Kennedy discusses Facebook's earnings with Jamal Carnette and Evan Niu, CFA.

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Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (HIG): Multiple Avenues For Share Price Upside

Although shares of Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE: HIG) have risen 46 percent year-to-date, there is significant value creation potential as the company continues to shed legacy life insurance businesses; improve returns in its core businesses, and actively manage its capital base.

Hartford (HIG) is a diversified insurer that traditionally operated in commercial- and personal-lines property-casualty insurance, retail and institutional retirement products (including a leading position in variable annuities), life insurance, group benefits, and mutual funds. In early January 2013, HIG completed the sales of the Individual Life and Retirement Plans businesses.

[Related -Bullish Options Change Hands On Hartford Financial Services Group]

As annuity blocks run off, HIG's capital markets sensitivity diminishes and capital is freed up for share buybacks. There should be continued improvement in profitability of go-forward businesses (P/C insurance, group benefits and mutual funds) as HIG benefits from improved commercial-lines pricing in the U.S., re-underwriting initiatives, and expense discipline.

"Looking ahead three years, assuming sales of Japanese Annuity in 2014 and U.S. Annuity in 2015, we estimate HIG's shares could be worth $57 per share as of year-end 2016, for a compound annual total return of roughly 22%," UBS analyst Brian Meredith said in a client note.

The statutory capital levels associated with the Japanese and U.S. run-off annuity businesses are estimated at about $1.9 billion and $4.6 billion, respectively, which will be freed up over time via surrenders and annuitization.

[Related -Stocks Poised For Further Highs]

The company's property and casualty (P&C) insurance unit are heading toward a mid-teens return on equity (ROE). HIG could achieve 12 percent un-levered operating ROE in its property-casualty insurance operations in 2017, up from 10 percent in 2013.

"In our view, the rising profitability primarily will be the resu! lt of underwriting margin improvement, as price increases in commercial lines likely will exceed loss cost inflation for at least the next 12-24 months," Meredith noted.

Meanwhile, commercial-lines margin expansion would disproportionately benefit HIG's combined (Commercial and Consumer) P&C business, as commercial-business accounts for more than 70 percent of HIG's total P&C underwriting profit.

HIG has strong potential for margin improvement in part from rectifying recent years' profitability issues in the company's workers' compensation business.

At more than 45 percent of total commercial-lines premiums in 2012, workers' comp at HIG was considerably above-average in size for commercial-lines insurers. Workers' compensation insurance currently accounts for roughly 30 percent of HIG's new-business writings, a percentage that is roughly in line with peers.

"As HIG's business mix continues to shift toward smaller percentage contributions from workers' compensation, the overall combined ratio should benefit," Meredith said.

On the personal-lines side, the company should see growth and profitability improvement in its Consumer P&C business as the company has moved past the reduced persistency and decreased new-business writings associated with recent years' corrective price increases.

The shares could see additional upside through the book value per share growth, aided by accretive stock buybacks, and P/B multiple expansion via improved ROE and risk profile.

HIG shares, which trades 9 times its forward earnings, have traded between $20.12 and $35.01 during the past 52-weeks.

Mondelez International’s Starbucks Windfall No Game Changer for Either

Following the close of the stock market yesterday, news broke that Starbucks (SBUX) would have to pay Mondelez International (MDLZ) nearly $2.8 billion for ending a deal between the two companies early.

Bloomberg

Bloomberg has the details:

Starbucks Corp. said it would pay Mondelez International Inc. $2.79 billion to settle a dispute over distribution in the coffee-shop chain's bagged-coffee unit, as grocery-store sales become a growing part of the business.

The payment, ordered by an arbitrator, consists of $2.23 billion in damages and $557 million in interest and attorneys' fees, Seattle-based Starbucks said today in a filing. The company said it has adequate cash and borrowing capacity to fund the payment and will book it as a charge to its fiscal 2013 operating expenses.

The ruling settles a dispute that began in 2010, when Starbucks offered $750 million to end an agreement through which Mondelez, then known as Kraft Foods Inc., distributed its coffee to food retailers. Kraft rejected the offer. Starbucks sought to wrest control of its packaged coffee business as revenue grew and surpassed gains in other segments.

Call JPMorgan’s Ken Goldman surprised by the amount of the award:

The arbitrator concluded that Kraft/MDLZ is entitled to $2.23B in pre-tax damages from SBUX, as well as $527MM in prejudgment and attorneys' fees, for a total of $2.76B. We were anticipating somewhere between $1.5B and $2.0B.

The net proceeds (after a 37% tax rate) are equivalent to ~3% of MDLZ’s market cap. MDLZ said it would use proceeds to repurchase shares.

Shares of Starbucks are little changed at $80.62 after being down as much as 1.8% this morning, while Mondelez has risen 1.9% to $33.04. Kraft Foods (KRFT) has ticked up 0.1% to $52.02.

Morgan Stanley’s Matthew Grainger and team call the award “a net positive” but not “thesis-changing” for Mondelez:

Clearly the proceeds from this arbitration do not address the fundamental issues (execution issues, slowing category growth trends, mixed returns on investments) that have hampered MDLZ in recent quarters. However, we view this as a clear (if modest) positive for the stock, as: (i) it provides a cash windfall equivalent to ~3% of the company's market cap; (ii) allows for the potential to further accelerate share repurchases (we assume $2 billion in 2014, but each additional $500 million would add close to $0.01 to EPS); and (iii) could allow for further flexibility for debt tenders / refinancing by providing both additional balance sheet capacity and providing North America profitability with a source of taxable profit that can be used to offset any premium associated with early debt retirement. Net, while this outcome is not entirely unexpected, both the magnitude of the award and the associated financial flexibility are supportive of our Overweight rating on the stock and expectation of accelerating earnings growth beyond 2015.

William Blair’s Sharon Zackfia and team have similar thoughts about Starbucks:

Excluding the actual judgment itself, we expect that the arbitration will prove roughly $0.02 to $0.03 dilutive to our fiscal 2014 estimate on lost interest income, versus our prior estimate of $2.65, guidance of $2.55 to $2.65, and consensus of $2.66.

While there is a fair question as to whether the pay‐off from Starbucks' decision to take direct control of the package coffee business was worth the pay‐out, the company likely would not have been able to pursue other opportunities such as K‐Cups while still tied to Kraft (which owns Tassimo). All told, we suspect the arbitration outcome is likely to modestly crimp our estimates, but we continue to like Starbucks' shares given robust sales trends, still‐strong expansion prospects, and extraordinarily high visibility on 15% to 20% annual EPS growth.

Starbucks has gained 50% this year, while Mondelez has risen 30%.

Facebook Targets Twitter ... Again

The following video is from Monday's Investor Beat, in which host Chris Hill and analysts Jason Moser and Taylor Muckerman dissect the hardest-hitting investing stories of the day.

Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) has unveiled its newest attempt to take down Twitter as the place to be for real-time online conversations, by giving media partners such as0 CNN and Buzzfeed the ability to tap into the social network's public feed of posts. In this segment, Jason and Taylor discuss the move and tell investors what they think of Facebook stock today.

The tech world has been thrown into chaos as the biggest titans invade one another's turf. At stake is the future of a trillion-dollar revolution: mobile. To find out which of these giants is set to dominate the next decade, we've created a free report called "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" Inside, you'll find out which companies are set to dominate, and we'll give in-the-know investors an edge. To grab a copy of this report, simply click here -- it's free!

Patent trolls demand ‘infringement’ fees

Jerry Tarrant, co-founder and chief operating officer of MyWebGrocer in Winooski, Vt., says he has spent more than $100,000 in attorney's fees fending off letters from companies claiming MyWebGrocer was infringing on their patents. "That doesn't include the time we've had to spend in-house trying to understand what their claim is," Tarrant said.

The letters have come from what's known as patent trolls — more formally designated in a White House report as "patent assertion entities."

These entities scour the legal landscape for vaguely worded, broadly defined patents, often buying them from bankrupt companies or small inventors. They set up shell companies whose only asset is a single patent. Then the letter-writing begins.

MyWebGrocer provides websites and online marketing services for major grocery chains, including Kroger, ShopRite and Albertsons, employing around 200 people at its Winooski headquarters.

The letters, often densely worded documents full of legalese, boil down to a simple demand: You are infringing on our patent. We will give you a license for a certain fee. If you don't pay, we'll sue you — implying that it will cost a lot more to defend that lawsuit than the troll is demanding.

Until recently, patent trolls have operated mostly under the radar. But the level they've reached has drawn the attention of Congress, the White House, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Supreme Court. The court agreed to take two cases that could make it easier for troll victims to recover legal fees. Congress is considering seven bills on the issue.

Vermont leads the nation in taking on patent trolls, passing the first law intended to put some legal obstacles in their way by giving targeted businesses the right to counter-sue.

Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell also filed the first lawsuit in the nation against an alleged troll that attempted to shake down small- and medium-size businesses across the state, Sorrell says. MPHJ Technology Inves! tments sent out at least 75 letters to businesses and non-profits in Vermont, claiming they were infringing its patent every time they scanned a document and attached it to an e-mail, among other claims, Sorrell said. "We've delivered a big message to patent trolls: If you come into Vermont, you'll have a fight on your hands," Sorrell said.

Bryan Farney of the Farney Daniels law firm, which is representing MPHJ, said in an e-mail: "Non-practicing entities, sometimes pejoratively referred to as 'trolls,' serve a valuable role in the nation's innovation economy. ... Individuals and companies of all sizes buy and sell patents to get a proper return on their research and development activities. The use of a letter to a business that may be infringing on a patent, prior to seeking a license agreement or bringing suit, is sometimes misconstrued or misunderstood. However, this practice is usually required by the federal courts to comply with patent law, and sometimes provides evidence that no infringement exists."

Michael Beckerman, president and chief executive officer of The Internet Association, a coalition of companies that includes Facebook, Google and Amazon.com — all targets of trolls — says trolls adjust the amount they demand for a license to the size of the business they are approaching. "I call it extortion," Beckerman said. "The amount is less than what it would cost to defend themselves in court. They can do the math."

The cost of defending a patent suit through trial is easily more than $1 million, attorney Peter Kunin of Downs Rachlin Martin in Burlington, Vt., said.

A report released in June by the White House asserts that suits brought by patent trolls have tripled in the last two years, rising from 29% of all infringement suits to 62%.

James Bessen, an economist and lecturer at the Boston University School of Law, put the cost of patent trolls to the U.S. economy in 2011 at $29 billion. The number has been criticized as being inflated, but Bessen says it'! s based o! n a survey of companies that have had to fight off trolls. "Right now, patent trolls are squelching innovation," Bessen said. "The more R&D you perform, the more likely you are to be sued. A company like Apple, they're clobbered." Bessen said Apple had 44 lawsuits filed against it by patent trolls last year.

In Congress, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Good-latte, R-Va., was first out of the gate with legislation aimed at trolls with the Innovation Act. Key provisions include heightened pleading standards and provisions for transparency.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is working on Senate legislation, and is cautiously optimistic that a fractious Congress will be able to come together on the patent troll issue, despite the recent government shutdown.

"I want innovation; I want people who invent something to be able to gain legitimate benefit from the invention," Leahy said, "but I don't believe in somebody who's bought a bunch of paper sitting in an office and using it for blackmail."

Dan D'Ambrosio also reports for the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press.

Fate Therapeutics Inc (FATE): A Nice Stem Cell Play

Fate Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE) shares should benefit from the company's expertise in both in-vivo and ex-vivo stem cell modulation that should be leveragable across multiple orphan indications, including stem cell transplant in cancer, lysosomal storage diseases, and muscular dystrophies.

Based in San Diego, California, Fate Therapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company focused on stem cell therapy for cancer and orphan diseases. Their platform focuses on modulation of existing stem cells to optimize therapeutic effects for stem cell transplant in cancer and actual treatment of orphan disease.

There is potential for clinical proof-of-concept in 3 separate indications within 18-24 months (ProHema Cancer, ProHema Hurler's, Wnt7a muscular dystrophy).

"We believe that upside potential from current valuation levels exists from progress into clinical development with its Wnt7a protein analog in muscular dystrophy alone and that strong pre-clinical data should bode well for clinical proof-of-concept," BMO Capital Markets analyst Jim Birchenough said in a client note.

While further ahead in development, the ex-vivo modulated stem cell product ProHema in stem cell transplant (SCT) for hematologic malignancy is a more binary opportunity, which should be considered as option value beyond Wnt7a protein analogs.

ProHema is a pharmacologically modulated HSC (hematopoietic stem cell) therapeutic derived from umbilical cord blood. ProHema has the potential to address the limitations of allogenic HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplant) and enhance its curative potential across a broad range of hematologic malignancies and rare genetic disorders.

Modulation of HSCs with PGE2 (prostaglandin E2) has the potential to enhance the biological properties of HSCs from any source, including cord blood, peripheral blood and bone marrow.

"Modulation of HSCs with PGE2 could improve patient outcomes by increasing engraftment success rates, accelerating the time to reconstitu! tion, and improving the durability of engraftment," Birchenough said.

Because ProHema enhances the rate of engraftment, it may be possible to improve the feasibility of conducting HSCT under the less toxic RIC regimen, as opposed to MAC. This may help broaden the patient populations for allogeneic HSCT.

ProHema may significantly overcome the limitations associated with cord blood HSCT and expand its use. Cord blood has many benefits, such as increased likelihood of identifying a human leukocyte antigen-compatible HSC source and reduced incidence of GvHD and relapse.

"Given that there are currently more than 600,000 publicly-banked cord blood units available world-wide, it is possible to rapidly identify a well HLA-matched cord blood unit for most patients. By enhancing the biological properties of cord blood HSCs, ProHema could help reduce the number of cells needed in HSCT," Birchenough noted.

Over the past two decades, the number of HSCT procedures has increased steadily, and the growth is expected to continue. According to a global survey conducted by the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, a total of 56,739 HSCT procedures were performed worldwide in 2010, including 26,241 such procedures in the allogeneic setting.

In the US, more than 5,800 allogenic HSCT procedures were performed in 2012 according to the National Marrow Donor Program, and 20 percent of the procedures used cord blood as the cell source. It is estimated that approximately 95 percent of HSCT procedures are performed for the treatment of hematologic malignancies.

While the primary focus has been on phase 2 development of ex-vivo modulated stem cell product ProHema for stem cell transplant (SCT) in hematologic malignancy, that greater value may exist for earlier stage programs for ProHema in Hurler's Syndrome as well as Wnt7a protein analogs in Muscular Dystrophy.

"We believe that review of pre-clinical data for Fate's Wnt7a protein analog in models of muscular dystrophy dem! onstrates! unique benefits in increasing muscle mass, increasing force of muscle contraction independent of muscle mass and changing the muscle biology to a more disease resistant phenotype," Birchenough said.

Meanwhile, published data for umbilical cord blood stem cells in lysosomal storage diseases like Hurler's syndrome may provide validation for pre-clinical stage efforts for ProHema in this area.

Thus, while near-term attention may be on phase 2 development of ProHema in hematologic malignancy, this program as pure option value and would look to phase 1 initiation for the Wnt7a protein analog in Muscular Dystrophy and ProHema in Hurler's syndrome as greater value drivers.

Car Challenge ranks the best compact cars

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- For new-car shoppers, 30 is the new 20, as in $30,000.

The average car on the road is more than 11 years old — from a time when $20,000 bought a lot of car. Folks who look to trade that car are in for sticker shock: The average paid for new vehicles now is about $31,000.

But the big surprise from the Cars.com-USA TODAY-MotorWeek $20,000 Compact Car Challenge, our latest head-to-head comparison: You still can get a lot of car for $20,000.

It'll be a compact, not a midsize car, but today's compacts are roomier than ever — more leg and knee room, in fact, than some midsizers.

And you can have some goodies. Navigation, a backup camera, sophisticated infotainment, even all-wheel drive were on one or more cars in the Challenge.

And the fuel economy can be high, tickling — sometimes exceeding — 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

The Challenge aimed to find the best low-price, fuel-efficient compact car a budget-conscious buyer could get for no more than $20,000 and a federal city-highway fuel economy rating of at least 28 mpg.

CHALLENGE RESULTS: Top pick, ranking of the rest, capsule review, photo gallery of all the cars

The seven contenders who met that bar: Toyota Corolla. Kia Forte, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Subaru Impreza.

A key lesson: Picking the perfect-for-you $20,000 compact sedan is a wrestling match of choices and priorities. No one car at that price has it all.

For instance, the Ford Focus tested had the sweetest-handling chassis, the judges agreed, and it was cheapest, at $18,200. But they also found it noisy and with an interior that was tight on space and downscale compared with the others. So have a ball on curving roads, but you'll have to roll up the rear windows by hand, and forget about pairing your phone because it lacked Bluetooth.

Or take the Subaru Impreza. It was pricier, at $19,737, but was the only one with all-wheel drive, and would be a no-brainer pick for w! intry climes. Back doors yawned wide for easy in/out — perfect if you use the rear seat a lot. But some considered it noisy, and using the Bluetooth was maddening.

Or The Nissan Sentra was the most expensive, at $19,945, but was the only one with a navigation system. The interior felt upscale, the air-conditioning was exceptional, it had a backup camera and was smooth and quiet. But the ride got choppy on bumpy roads, and it leaned and didn't want to follow the steering in hard corners.

Overall, however, you wouldn't feel deprived in most of our test cars.

What about moving up to a roomier, but less-festooned midsize? Probably can't do it. Most tend to start about $22,000 or $23,000.

And it might be smarter financially to stay with the compact. Not only will it cost a bit less, it will hold its value a bit better over time, according to a projection by TrueCar.com's ALG, specialists in forecasting future value of cars.

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now

Chinese growth stocks stormed higher last week.

NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ  ) continues its amazing run, soaring 26% on the week after climbing 17% a week earlier.

The provider of mobile Internet services took off after announcing encouraging preliminary results for its second quarter. NQ Mobile was forecasting no more than $38.8 million in net revenue two months ago for the period, but now it sees revenue surpassing $40 million for the quarter that ended in June.

NQ Mobile has managed to close higher for 11 consecutive trading days since releasing its upbeat report. You don't see that kind of streak too often.

Are investors finally ready to buy back into China? Are the high growth rates and often reasonable valuations enough to outweigh the geopolitical risks of buying into Chinese growth stocks?

Let's take a closer look at some of the other winners from last week.

Company

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now: U S Concrete Inc.(USCR)

U.S. Concrete, Inc. engages in the production and sale of ready-mixed concrete, precast concrete products, and concrete-related products for use in commercial, residential, and public works construction projects in the United States. It operates in two segments, Ready-Mixed Concrete and Concrete-Related Products, and Precast Concrete Products. The Ready-Mixed Concrete and Concrete-Related Products segment involves in the formulation, preparation, and delivery of ready-mixed concrete to customers? job sites; and the provision of various services that include the formulation of mixtures for specific design uses, on-site and lab-based product quality control, and customized delivery programs. This segment also engages in the mining and sale of aggregates, such as crushed stone aggregates, sand, and gravel; and the resale of building materials, including rebars, concrete blocks, wire mesh, color additives, curing compounds, grouts, wooden forms, concrete masonry, and tools. Th e Precast Concrete Products segment produces a range of precast concrete products for use in various architectural applications, including free-standing walls used for landscaping; soundproofing and security walls; panels used to clad a building facade; and storm water drainages. This segment also offers various finished products consisting of utility vaults, manholes, catch basins, highway barriers, curb inlets, pre-stressed bridge girders, concrete piles, and custom-designed architectural products. The company serves general contractors, concrete sub-contractors, design engineers, architects, governmental agencies, property owners and developers, and home builders principally in Texas, California, New Jersey, and New York. As of March 7, 2011, it had 102 fixed and 11 portable ready-mixed concrete plants, 7 precast concrete plants, and 7 aggregates facilities. U.S. Concrete, Inc. was founded in 1948 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now: eLong Inc.(LONG)

eLong, Inc. operates as an online travel service provider in the People?s Republic of China. The company provides its customers with travel information and the ability to book rooms, air tickets, vacation packages, and other travel related services utilizing call center and Web-based distribution technologies. It facilitates the customers to book rooms in approximately 10,000 hotels in 450 cities across China, and fulfills air ticket reservations in approximately 80 cities across China. In addition, the company offers the ability to book rooms at approximately 100,000 hotels outside of China; and provides the customers informative content relevant to hotel and air travel decisions, including tourist and event site destination information, hotel facility information, and photos. eLong markets its services through online marketing, traditional media advertising, co-marketing with established brands of other companies, and direct marketing. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China. eLong, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Expedia Asia Pacific Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shareholders Unite]

    The main on-line competitors are:

    Qunar.com, a travel website owned by Baidu (BIDU) and a few venture fundseLong (LONG), backed by Tencent (TCEHY.PK) and Expedia (EXPE). Analyst expect it to generate $163M in revenue next year

    That is pretty serious competition, needless to say. Having the backing of Baidu or Expedia offers several advantages, but Ctrip is the biggest and most established company. It's quite difficult to compare Qunar.com to Ctrip, for the simple sake that Qunar is a private company. However, there can be little doubt that it constitutes serious competition:

Top 5 Bank Companies To Watch For 2014: SmartHeat Inc.(HEAT)

SmartHeat Inc. manufactures, sells, and services plate heat exchangers (PHE) in the People?s Republic of China. It offers PHE units, which combine PHEs with various pumps, temperature sensors, and valves and automated control systems; heat meters for use in commercial and residential buildings; and spiral and tube heat exchangers. The company?s products are used in various applications that include energy conversion for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; and industrial use in petroleum refining, petrochemicals, metallurgy, food and beverage, and chemical processing. SmartHeat sells PHE units under the brand name of Taiyu; and PHEs under the brand names of Taiyu and Sondex. It sells its products through sales force and a network of national distributors. The company is headquartered in Shenyang, the People?s Republic of China.

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now: China Valves Technology Inc.(CVVT)

China Valves Technology, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in developing, manufacturing, and selling low, medium, and high-pressure metal valves for customers in the electricity, petroleum, chemical, water, gas, nuclear power station, and metal industries in China. The company?s product categories include high pressure and high temperature valves for power station units; valves for long distance petroleum and gas pipelines, and sewage; special valves for chemical lines; and large valves for water supply pipe networks. Its products comprise gate, globe, check, throttle, butterfly, ball, safety, water pressure test, vacuum, and extraction check valves. The company markets its products through regional agents and distributors. China Valves Technology, Inc. has a strategic cooperation frame agreement with Dongfang Electric Corporation for the development of high-end valves. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Kaifeng, the People's Republic of China.

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now: Suntech Power Holdings Co. LTD.(STP)

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., a solar energy company, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products. The company also provides engineering, procurement, and construction services to building solar power systems for certain related party and third party customers. Its products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon PV cells; PV modules; and building-integrated photovoltaics products. In addition, the company provides PV system integration services, including designing, installing, and testing PV systems used in lighting for outdoor urban public facilities, as well as in farms, villages, and commercial buildings; and project development services. Its products are used to provide electric power for residential, commercial, industrial, and public utility applications. The company sells its products through value-added resellers, such as distributors and system integrators; and to end users, such as project develo pers primarily in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Benelux, Greece, the United States, Canada, China, the Middle East, Australia, and Japan. Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Wuxi, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Gary Bourgeault]

    Other companies of note that will be hurt will be LDK Solar (LDK), Suntech Power (STP), JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (JASO) and Renesola (SOL) among others. Some these are already hanging on by a thread because of taking on too much debt and defaulting on bonds.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Provided that the Chinese government either encourages or permits consolidation, any of these three could be an acquirer. The likeliest target, of course, is SunTech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), which is reorganizing and which the government has already seemed to give up on. Other possible targets include ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) and JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: JKS).

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Most of the move in Trina's stock has come in just the past month, as two trends have really taken hold since April. First, U.S. companies First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) and SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR  ) have given rosy projections of their respective future prospects, as First Solar aims to improve its panels' efficiency through its acquisition of TetraSun, and SunPower has benefited from its industry-leading efficiency in boosting its profits. In addition, with the bond default earlier this year by Suntech Power (NYSE: STP  ) , some believe that the Chinese government might allow weaker Chinese players to fail, which could potentially lead to reduced production and end what has been a crippling supply glut that has weighed on prices around the world.

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now: Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc.(HMIN)

Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. develops, leases, operates, franchises, and manages a chain of economy hotels in the People?s Republic of China. The company operates its hotels under the Home Inn brand name. As of April 28, 2011, it had approximately 800 Home Inns in operation and 1,000 Home Inns sealed in franchise agreements. The company was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Home Inns & Hotels Management (Nasdaq: HMIN  ) reported earnings on May 13. Here are the numbers you need to know.

    The 10-second takeaway
    For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Home Inns & Hotels Management missed estimates on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now: TAL Education Group(XRS)

TAL Education Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides K-12 after-school tutoring services in the People?s Republic of China. It offers tutoring services to K-12 students covering various academic subjects, including mathematics, English, Chinese, physics, chemistry, and biology. The company provides tutoring services through small classes; personalized premium services, such as one-on-one tutoring; and online course offerings. As of May 31, 2011, it operated a network of 199 physical learning centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and Xi?an; and eduu.com, an online education platform for online courses. The company also offers education and management consulting services, as well as sells software. It operates under the Xueersi brand. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now: Clean Diesel Technologies Inc.(CDTI)

Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. engages in the manufacture and distribution of emissions control systems and products for heavy duty diesel and light duty vehicle markets. The company operates in two divisions, Heavy Duty Diesel Systems and Catalyst. The Heavy Duty Diesel Systems division designs and manufactures verified exhaust emissions control solutions that are used to reduce exhaust emissions created by on-road, off-road, and stationary diesel and alternative fuel engines, including propane and natural gas. Its products include closed crankcase ventilation systems, diesel oxidation catalysts, diesel particulate filters, Platinum Plus fuel-borne catalysts, ARIS selective catalytic reduction reagents, catalyzed wire mesh diesel particulate filters, alternative fuel products, and exhaust accessories. This division offers its products for original equipment manufacturers of heavy duty diesel equipment, such as mining equipment, vehicles, generator sets, and construction equipment, as well as retrofit customers consisting of school districts, municipalities, and other fleet operators. The Catalyst division produces catalyst formulations using its proprietary MPC technology for gasoline, diesel, and natural gas induced emissions. Its products comprise catalysts for gasoline engines, diesel engines, and energy applications. This division supplies its catalysts to automotive manufacturers and large heavy duty diesel engine manufacturers. The company sells its products through a network of distributors and dealers, and its direct sales force worldwide. Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. is based in Ventura, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:CDTI), a cleantech emissions control company, will be a presenter at the 3rd Annual Craig-Hallum Capital Group Alpha Select Conference. The presentation is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 27, 2012 at the Sentry Centers in New York.

Ford: Hitting on all Cylinders

This company is hitting on all cylinders right now. It is on pace to deliver 16 million vehicles this year, the most since 2007, projects Brian Hicks, editor of The Wealth Advisory.

In its last earnings report, Ford (F) crushed the $0.37 a share expectation with $0.45 a share for the full year. Ford raised its pretax profit forecast, saying it will equal or exceed last year's $8 billion. The company previously projected its annual result would be in line with last year's.

The automaker also raised its annual automotive operating margin forecast to about equal to last year's 5.3%, after previously estimating the figure could be in line with, or less than, the 2012 result. Operating cash flow will be more than last year's $3.4 billion.

Ford made $4.77 billion in its home region during the year's first six months, driven by surging demand for Fusion family cars and F-Series pickups. The Dearborn, Michigan-based company is adding factory capacity to build more of both of those models, starting this quarter.

In North America, Ford has earned $2 billion or more, with an operating margin of 10% or more, in five of the past six quarters.

The $2.3 billion second-quarter profit in the region was achieved with US industry sales still running at roughly 1.5 million vehicles short of the 2000 peak.

The results in North America are being driven by sales gains, especially of lucrative F-Series pickups, said Matthew Stover, an analyst with Guggenheim Securities.

Reviving US housing sales, and a domestic energy boom, are fueling demand for full-size trucks, with F-Series deliveries jumping 26% to 198,643 during the quarter.

Ford cut its loss forecast for Europe to about $1.8 billion from $2 billion, which is very important, as that $200 million essentially goes right to the bottom line.

And in China, deliveries of the Focus increased 69% in 2013's first six months. That makes Ford one of the fastest-growing carmakers in the world's largest auto market.

Ford's Asia/Pacific/Africa operations earned a record $177 million in the quarter, after losing $66 million a year earlier. The automaker is introducing 15 new vehicles in China by 2015 to try to catch up with market leaders GM and Volkswagen AG.

We remain very bullish on Ford. The shares appear undervalued, and there's a lot of upside for the dividend. In fact, we expect a dividend hike when it reports 3Q earnings.

And over the next 12 months, we expect at least 50% upside for the dividend. There could be more.

Throw in at least 18% upside for the stock, and you have a solid investment here. We are raising our buy limit to $17.50. Ford is a Strong Buy under $17.

Subscribe to The Wealth Advisory here…

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Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK  ) is anything but a clean energy company. It owns 19 coal-fired power plants, 22 oil- or gas-fired plants, and seven nuclear�plants (the cleanest of the bunch), and is building more coal and gas�capacity right now. So, how did this company become a player in renewable energy almost overnight?

The utility and power plant owner followed Edison International (NYSE: EIX  ) in making an equity investment in Clean Power Finance, a residential solar finance and service company. Clean Power Finance claims to generate the financing for 40% of the residential leases in the U.S. market ���s a major player in this emerging market Duke is getting exposure to solar it sorely needs.

Earlier this week, President Obama outlined his plans to fight climate change; a big part of that plan is to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, particularly from coal plants. That hits Duke Energy where its profit center is, as is evident by the company retiring the W.S. Lee plant, one of well over 100 coal plants to be shut down in recent years.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Astur Gold Corp (AST.V)

Astur Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in western Europe. It primarily explores for gold. The company principally holds a 100% interest in the Salave property, which consists of 5 mineral concessions covering a total area of 3198 hectares and is located in Asturias, northern Spain. It also has a joint venture agreement to acquire 80% interest in La Codosera gold property in Spain. The company was formerly known as Dagilev Capital Corp. and changed its name to Astur Gold Corp. in June 2010. Astur Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: PACCAR Inc.(PCAR)

PACCAR Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and distributes light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks and related aftermarket parts worldwide. The company offers its trucks for use in the over-the-road and off-highway hauling of freight, petroleum, wood products, construction, and other materials to independent dealers under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates. It also provides finance and leasing products and services, such as inventory financing for independent dealers; and retail loan and lease financing for new and used trucks, as well as other transportation equipment; and full service leasing under the PacLease trade name. In addition, it manufactures and sells industrial winches under the Braden, Carco, and Gearmatic nameplates. PACCAR Inc was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    PACCAR (NASDAQ: PCAR  ) is motoring straight ahead, at least as far as its dividend policy is concerned. The company has declared its latest payout, which will amount to $0.20 per share. This is to be distributed on June 5 to shareholders of record as of May 17, and it matches the company's most recent regular dividend, which was paid in March. The company also handed out an extra distribution of $0.80 per share in December 2012.

  • [By Daniel Ferry]

    Another important development last week was the announcement that Trillium CNG, a division of Integrys Energy Group (NYSE: TEG  ) , would build 101 new compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling stations across the country by 2016. This would expand the existing infrastructure of publicly available CNG refueling stations by nearly 20%. This is good news for Westport because many of Westport's products run on CNG, including its bi-fuel WiNG system for light-duty Ford pickup trucks, as well as the medium-duty ISL G and heavy-duty ISX12 G engines it produces through Cummins Westport Incorporated, its manufacturing joint-venture with independent engine maker Cummins (NYSE: CMI  ) . Users of the ISL G and ISX12 G engines include long-haul truck manufacturers like PACCAR (NASDAQ: PCAR  ) , Volvo, and Daimler. Freight trucking is a critical growth industry for natural gas engines, because the long miles and heavy loads that freight trucks endure relative to passenger vehicles make them especially sensitive to fuel costs.

Top 5 Performing Companies To Invest In Right Now: Pankl Racing Systems AG (PARS.VI)

Pankl Racing Systems AG is an Austria-based holding company that develops, produces and distributes mechanical technology systems for the automotive and aviation industries, and specializes in the niche markets of motor racing, luxury vehicles and aerospace. The Company operates through two main segments: combined segment Racing/High Performance and Aerospace. The Racing segment supplies engine as well as drive train components and systems for the racing market. The High Performance segment is specialized in the production of engine and drive train components for luxury vehicles, engine parts for the aftermarket and aluminum forged parts. The Aerospace segment produces lightweight and flexible transmission components as well as systems for over 50 types of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. As of December 31, 2011, Pankl Racing Systems AG operated through 16 subsidiaries located in Austria, the United Kingdom, Slovakia and the United States. The Company is a subsidiary of the CROSS Group.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Pearson(PSON.L)

Pearson plc engages in education, business information, and consumer publishing businesses worldwide. The company?s North American Education segment provides higher education services, such as higher education publishing; MyLab digital learning, homework, and assessment programs; and LearningStudio, a suite of learning management technologies, including eCollege and Fronter. This segment also offers assessment and information services; school curriculum services consisting of school publishing; enVisionMATH, a digital math curriculum; America's Choice school reform services; online learning platform for teachers and students; Poptropica video game; digital programs, such as digits, a digital middle school math?s program; Writing Coach, a blended print and online program; and Online Learning Exchange, a personalized digital learning program. Its International Education segment provides educational content, assessment, technologies, and related services to educational inst itutions. This segment offers spoken English training for adults, as well as provides eCollege and Fronter learning management systems. It also offers MyLab digital learning, homework, and assessment programs. The company?s Professional segment focuses on publishing, training, testing, and certification for professionals. Its Financial Times group segment provides business and financial news, data, comment, and analysis in print and online formats to the international business community. Its products include Financial Times newspaper; FT.com Website; financial magazines and online services; and Mergermarket, which provides forward-looking insights and intelligence to businesses and financial institutions. The company?s Penguin Group segment engages in book publishing business, under the Hamish Hamilton, Putnam, Berkley, Viking, Dorling Kindersley, Puffin, and Ladybird imprints. It also offers ebooks. The company was founded in 1844 and is headquartered in London, the Unite d Kingdom.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: EntreMed Inc (ENMD.PH)

EntreMed, Inc. (EntreMed), incorporated in 1991, is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. EntreMed's drug candidate is ENMD-2076, an Aurora A and angiogenic kinase inhibitor for the treatment of cancer. ENMD-2076 has completed Phase I studies in patients with advanced solid tumors, multiple myeloma and leukemia and is completing data for a multi-center Phase II study in patients with platinum resistant ovarian cancer. The Company�� other product candidates have includes MKC-1, ENMD-1198 and 2-methoxyestrdiol (2ME2, Panzem) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

ENMD-2076 is a novel orally-active, Aurora A/angiogenic kinase inhibitor with potent activity against Aurora A and multiple tyrosine kinases linked to cancer and inflammatory diseases. ENMD-2076 is relatively selective for the Aurora A isoform in comparison to Aurora B. Aurora kinases are key regulators of the process of mitosis, or cell division, and are often over-expressed in human cancers. E NMD-2076 exerts its effects through multiple mechanisms of action, including anti-proliferative activity and the inhibition of angiogenesis. ENMD-2076 has demonstrated significant, dose-dependent preclinical activity as a single agent, including tumor regression, in multiple xenograft models (such as breast, colon, leukemia), as well as activity towards ex vivo-treated human leukemia patient cells.